UFC bantamweight Irwin Rivera has been charged with two counts of attempted murder. The 31-year-old Mexican was arrested on Tuesday after confessing to stabbing his two sisters. He is currently held without bail at the Palm Beach County Jail in Florida. 

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• The alleged incident happened on Thursday, Jan. 7, at the fighter's home in Boynton Beach. Police documents say Rivera admitted to the crime, which the accused said was an order from a "higher power." 
• Both sisters survived the attack but sustained critical injuries like collapsed lungs. Nonetheless, they showed support for their beleaguered brother and expressed their love for him online. According to Lezlye Rivera's social media statement, Irwin "hasn't been acting like himself" the entire weekend before the incident happened. 
• Per the UFC's statement, the company has been made aware of Rivera's "mental health issues." Management is now considering possible disciplinary action or medical attention. 
• As a fighter, Rivera last competed in September against Andre Ewell. He lost by split decision to compile a record in the UFC. He is also the former Titan FC bantamweight champion. 

UFC 257 will have a limited audience comprised of 2,000 spectators. Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism confirmed the news on a social media post. The event will take place on Jan. 24 (local time) at the Etihad Arena. 

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• The Abu Dhabi government gave an assurance that safety measures are being practiced. It reiterated the "safe zone" where event participants like delegates, media members, event crew, and spectators will be housed. Stringent COVID-19 protocols are in place. 
• Tickets are priced at $215 USD to $1,350 USD. 
• Headlining UFC 257 is a rematch between former lightweight champion Conor McGregor and ex-interim titleholder Dustin Poirier. The co-main event is another 155-pound matchup between Dan Hooker and former Bellator champion Michael Chandler. 

UFC "BMF" champion Jorge Masvidal wants to leave Twitter after the platform's recent banning of incumbent US President Trump. "Gamebred" says he wants to "follow the leader" since "all the cool kids have been kicked off Twitter." 

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• The 36-year-old Masvidal is one of the UFC's most die-hard Trump supporters. In October, he partook in a bus tour with Donald Jr. to fight against "the horrors of communism and socialism."
• Masvidal, who is of Cuban descent, has said that he is pleased with how President Trump is "actually helping out" his fellow Latinos. 
• As of this posting, Masvidal's Twitter account remains active. 

Lightweight contender Dan Hooker won't be allowed to return to his home in New Zealand for the next six weeks after UFC 257. Hooker will co-headline the said event against newcomer Michael Chandler. It will take place at the Etihad Stadium on "Fight Island" in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 24. 

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• The 30-year-old Hooker will need to remain in Abu Dhabi for a full month after the event. He will then spend another two weeks in quarantine upon returning to his home country. He's expected to be home by Mar. 3. 
• New Zealand is one of the very few countries that was able to handle the COVID-19 pandemic with more success. It had zero cases from May to August and has a mere 77 active cases (2,222 in total) as of Jan. 11. Its death count is at a low 25 and hasn't risen since September. 
• As Hooker told the media, life is now back to normal in his country. Events are being held with "20,000 to 30,000 people" in attendance. 
• UFC middleweight champion and New Zealand resident Israel Adesanya proved this point. Here's a video he posted on New Year's day, showing himself amongst a large crowd at a party. 

Conor McGregor is predicting a 60-second knockout win for himself against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. McGregor is known for accurate predictions, earning him the nickname "Mystic Mac." 

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• McGregor, also known as "The Notorious," predicted a quick win over Jose Aldo in their 2015 featherweight title fight. He laid out a scene where he catches Aldo with a left hand to counter a right punch. It was exactly what happened, as the Irishman ended with a 13-second knockout win to become the second 145-pound titleholder in UFC history. 
• McGregor also predicted a first-round knockout finish over Poirier before their first fight in 2014. He did exactly as he said, winning via TKO in less than two minutes. 
• UFC 257 will be McGregor's first fight in a year. He last saw action at UFC 246 against Donald Cerrone in January 2020 and won via TKO inside 46 seconds. 
• Poirier last fought in June against Dan Hooker. He won via unanimous decision in what many saw as a strong candidate for 2020 Fight of the Year. 

UFC veteran Diego Sanchez confirmed on Sunday that his next fight will be his last. The 39-year-old realized "it's time to heal, not hurt" after having a change in his "heart path." 

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• "The Nightmare," who has been with the UFC since 2005, is leaving the selection of his final opponent in the hands of company president Dana White. He isn't allowing UFC matchmakers to intervene. 
• Sanchez entered the UFC through the very first season of the Ultimate Fighter reality show/tournament. He's the last remaining cast member in the organization's current active roster with 32 total fights and counting. 
• Sanchez holds a record of 30-13. He last saw action at UFC 253 in September against Jake Matthews and lost by unanimous decision. 

Anthony Pettis points to the UFC's "rat race" for his decision to sign with the Professional Fighters League. The 33-year-old inked a deal with PFL two days before Christmas and four days after the final fight on his UFC contract took place. 

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• Pettis, a former 155-pound champion clarified that he wasn't part of the 60-fighter roster cut that the UFC was planning for 2020. But he ended up turning down a new contract offer that would have seen him climbing back up the ladder to title contention.
• Prior to his departure from the UFC, Pettis was ranked number 12 at welterweight. He was planning to make a lightweight return and take on Tony Ferguson in a rematch. 
• "Showtime" spent nine years with the UFC, a year and a half as its undisputed lightweight champion. He jumped around between featherweight (145 pounds), lightweight (155 pounds), and welterweight (170 pounds).
• Pettis' last fight took place at welterweight against Alex Morono on Dec. 19. He won by unanimous decision. 

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• Marcelo Ribas immortalized his daughter Amanda's first UFC win through a tattoo. The 27-year-old Ribas will be part of UFC 257 as she takes on fellow flyweight Marina Rodriguez. 
• UFC middleweight Wellington Turman was hospitalized due to pneumonia on Wednesday. As a result, the 24-year-old was pulled from his scheduled Feb. 6 fight against Aliaskhab Khzriev.
• The welterweight bout between Dhiego Lima and Belal Muhammad has been rescheduled for UFC 258 on Feb. 13. The two were supposed to be part of the UFC's Dec. 19 card. However, a positive COVID-19 test on Muhammad forced the company to postpone the matchup.