5 hours ago
Here's what we know after Monday's press conference in New York to announce the new MMA promotion backed by Strikeforce founder and former Bellator president Scott ******* er:
— It will be called Ki MMA, which looks like K-1 on paper but is ******* ounced like "key," which led to at least one accidental pun in just the first half-hour or so of conversation among the executives.
— Its fights will take place in a modified boxing ring, with such an abundance of tightly ******* ed ropes that should help us finally figure out if it's possible to use this set up without fighters getting tangled or falling through.
— It will focus on tournament-based competition, beginning with a 32-man featherweight tournament in 2027, that will draw fighters from four different continents — North America, South America, Europe and Asia — leading to a world grand prix final, where the eventual champion will have to win two fights in one night.
What we didn't find out was who will be in this tournament or where we'll be able to watch it. Those are typically two pretty important factors in determining whether or not fight fans will get on board, but I guess we're taking things one step at a time.
#bellator
— It will be called Ki MMA, which looks like K-1 on paper but is ******* ounced like "key," which led to at least one accidental pun in just the first half-hour or so of conversation among the executives.
— Its fights will take place in a modified boxing ring, with such an abundance of tightly ******* ed ropes that should help us finally figure out if it's possible to use this set up without fighters getting tangled or falling through.
— It will focus on tournament-based competition, beginning with a 32-man featherweight tournament in 2027, that will draw fighters from four different continents — North America, South America, Europe and Asia — leading to a world grand prix final, where the eventual champion will have to win two fights in one night.
What we didn't find out was who will be in this tournament or where we'll be able to watch it. Those are typically two pretty important factors in determining whether or not fight fans will get on board, but I guess we're taking things one step at a time.
#bellator
8 hours ago
Michael Page won significantly more times than he lost in the UFC, yet it still wasn't enough to sway the promotion to keep him around after his contract expired.
The former Bellator superstar entered the UFC with plenty of fanfare in 2024, scoring a clear-cut unanimous decision win against Kevin Holland at UFC 299. Page, 39, styled on Holland in vintage fashion, utilizing his flashy striking skills to outpoint the veteran in a welterweight showdown. As it turned out, though, finishes — or even similarly entertaining performances — failed to materialize in Page's subsequent five UFC appearances.
Despite winning four straight fights, capped off by his fight against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris, the promotion opted not to re-sign Page without even having a discussion.
Speaking on Monday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show," Page vented his frustrations, saying he felt disrespected by the entire close to his UFC run.
"I had goals to achieve, so regardless of anything, I was winning my fights, which says to me you get to stay," Page told Uncrowned. "That's the premise of this game. Success should breed more opportunities. So, I still felt like we'd sit down at the table.
#holland #winning #fights
The former Bellator superstar entered the UFC with plenty of fanfare in 2024, scoring a clear-cut unanimous decision win against Kevin Holland at UFC 299. Page, 39, styled on Holland in vintage fashion, utilizing his flashy striking skills to outpoint the veteran in a welterweight showdown. As it turned out, though, finishes — or even similarly entertaining performances — failed to materialize in Page's subsequent five UFC appearances.
Despite winning four straight fights, capped off by his fight against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris, the promotion opted not to re-sign Page without even having a discussion.
Speaking on Monday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show," Page vented his frustrations, saying he felt disrespected by the entire close to his UFC run.
"I had goals to achieve, so regardless of anything, I was winning my fights, which says to me you get to stay," Page told Uncrowned. "That's the premise of this game. Success should breed more opportunities. So, I still felt like we'd sit down at the table.
#holland #winning #fights
9 hours ago
NEW YORK – Scott ******* er is officially back and his promotion now has a name.
On Monday, ******* er and his team revealed the name is Ki MMA during an announcement event at Cipriani 25 Broadway. A news conference is set to follow at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and MMA Junkie is onsite.
While the reasoning behind the name has yet to be revealed, one explanation is that "Ki" is a ******* anese word meaning "spirit, mind, and energy."
One other detail revealed upon entry to the event? The fights will take place in a ring – another likely nod to ******* an's rich history in martial arts. ******* er has long shown his appreciation for ******* anese fighting culture, frequently partnering with RIZIN during his days as Bellator CEO.
Coker, who also headed Strikeforce prior to its purchase by the UFC, has trickled out details since he announced his return earlier this year. The promotion is expected to launch in early 2027, with former Bellator matchmaker Rich Chou heading talent relations. Events are expected to be held worldwide and there is also expected to be a tournament component.
#revealed
On Monday, ******* er and his team revealed the name is Ki MMA during an announcement event at Cipriani 25 Broadway. A news conference is set to follow at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and MMA Junkie is onsite.
While the reasoning behind the name has yet to be revealed, one explanation is that "Ki" is a ******* anese word meaning "spirit, mind, and energy."
One other detail revealed upon entry to the event? The fights will take place in a ring – another likely nod to ******* an's rich history in martial arts. ******* er has long shown his appreciation for ******* anese fighting culture, frequently partnering with RIZIN during his days as Bellator CEO.
Coker, who also headed Strikeforce prior to its purchase by the UFC, has trickled out details since he announced his return earlier this year. The promotion is expected to launch in early 2027, with former Bellator matchmaker Rich Chou heading talent relations. Events are expected to be held worldwide and there is also expected to be a tournament component.
#revealed
3 days ago
Rising featherweights will collide at the Meta APEX this fall.
At UFC Fight Night 293, Austin Bashi and Lucas Brennan will look to regain momentum against one another in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Bashi (14-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) entered the UFC with much hype but has encountered mixed results. He lost his debut to Christian Rodriguez, but bounced back with a win over John Yannis. In July, Bashi lost a hard-fought battle against Jose Delgado, who is now considered a contender at featherweight.
Brennan (11-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) gained notoriety for his nine-fight stint in Bellator during which he went undefeated. After a loss in PFL, Brennan departed the promotion and went to the regional scene. After a 2-1 run there, the UFC picked him up in April. He lost his debut to Francis Marshall by unanimous decision. Brennan is a second generation UFC fighter, being the son of promotional alumnus Chris Brennan.
#went #rising
At UFC Fight Night 293, Austin Bashi and Lucas Brennan will look to regain momentum against one another in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Bashi (14-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) entered the UFC with much hype but has encountered mixed results. He lost his debut to Christian Rodriguez, but bounced back with a win over John Yannis. In July, Bashi lost a hard-fought battle against Jose Delgado, who is now considered a contender at featherweight.
Brennan (11-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) gained notoriety for his nine-fight stint in Bellator during which he went undefeated. After a loss in PFL, Brennan departed the promotion and went to the regional scene. After a 2-1 run there, the UFC picked him up in April. He lost his debut to Francis Marshall by unanimous decision. Brennan is a second generation UFC fighter, being the son of promotional alumnus Chris Brennan.
#went #rising
4 days ago
These are weird times for the 'Notorious' Conor McGregor.
The Irish sports star came into his bout with Max Holloway at UFC 329 in July with muted fanfare, as UFC tried its best not to give oxygen to McGregor's decade of past controversies. They did this despite their former champ-champ being found liable for rape in an Irish civil court in 2024.
Despite best efforts to present McGregor as his best self, the 38 year-old came into the Octagon looking old and tired. He blew his knee out on his first foray forward and was forced to fold in the middle of the cage, before a thoroughly bemused Holloway. The ACL injury he suffered that night required surgery and will mean another long wait before McGregor gets back in the fighting arena.
The Holloway fight was the penultimate bout on McGregor's UFC contract. Whether he gets another fight, and a chance at liberation, is up in the air.
Eddie Alvarez is one man who knows exactly how tough these kinds of situations can be. 'The Underground King' was subject of legal action from Bellator when he jumped ship to join UFC in 2014. All the stress of that departure was worth it in the end, though, with Alvarez winning the UFC Lightweight **** le two years later.
#irish #came #champ
The Irish sports star came into his bout with Max Holloway at UFC 329 in July with muted fanfare, as UFC tried its best not to give oxygen to McGregor's decade of past controversies. They did this despite their former champ-champ being found liable for rape in an Irish civil court in 2024.
Despite best efforts to present McGregor as his best self, the 38 year-old came into the Octagon looking old and tired. He blew his knee out on his first foray forward and was forced to fold in the middle of the cage, before a thoroughly bemused Holloway. The ACL injury he suffered that night required surgery and will mean another long wait before McGregor gets back in the fighting arena.
The Holloway fight was the penultimate bout on McGregor's UFC contract. Whether he gets another fight, and a chance at liberation, is up in the air.
Eddie Alvarez is one man who knows exactly how tough these kinds of situations can be. 'The Underground King' was subject of legal action from Bellator when he jumped ship to join UFC in 2014. All the stress of that departure was worth it in the end, though, with Alvarez winning the UFC Lightweight **** le two years later.
#irish #came #champ
7 days ago
MichaelPage may have reached the end of his Ultimate Fighting Championship run.
Page completed his current UFC contract with a unanimous decisionwin over NursultonRuziboev at UFC Paris on Sept. 5. Despite the victory, the former Bellatorstandout has now been removed from the promotion's latest round ofrankings eligibility, according to an email sent to rankingpanelists.
Longtime mixed martial arts reporter John Morgan shared an email he received from the UFCregarding the latest round of ranking updates.
"Dear Panelists, Michael Page has been removed from rankingseligibility effective immediately," the email read. "If you rankedhim in your middleweight division already, we ask that you pleasere-rank that division to make sure you have 15 athletes."
This comes after Page himself acknowledged that he may not beoffered another UFC contract after another lackluster decisionwin.
"They weren't happy with me before; they're not gonna be happy withme now," Page said following the fight. "If I put myself in theirshoes, it's like, same thing. 'We can sign him again, but are wegonna see much more?'"
Page joined the UFC in 2024 and has gone 5-1 inside the Octagon,with his only defeat coming against IanGarry.
#email #happy #michaelpage
Page completed his current UFC contract with a unanimous decisionwin over NursultonRuziboev at UFC Paris on Sept. 5. Despite the victory, the former Bellatorstandout has now been removed from the promotion's latest round ofrankings eligibility, according to an email sent to rankingpanelists.
Longtime mixed martial arts reporter John Morgan shared an email he received from the UFCregarding the latest round of ranking updates.
"Dear Panelists, Michael Page has been removed from rankingseligibility effective immediately," the email read. "If you rankedhim in your middleweight division already, we ask that you pleasere-rank that division to make sure you have 15 athletes."
This comes after Page himself acknowledged that he may not beoffered another UFC contract after another lackluster decisionwin.
"They weren't happy with me before; they're not gonna be happy withme now," Page said following the fight. "If I put myself in theirshoes, it's like, same thing. 'We can sign him again, but are wegonna see much more?'"
Page joined the UFC in 2024 and has gone 5-1 inside the Octagon,with his only defeat coming against IanGarry.
#email #happy #michaelpage
7 days ago
VadimNemkov will defend his Professional Fighters League heavyweight championship againstSergeyBilostenniy in November.
The promotion recently announced that former Bellatorchamp Nemkov (20-2) will meet the No. 3-ranked Bilostenniy (15-4)in the main event of PFL Dubai on Nov. 14 at Coca-Cola Arena.
Nemkov, a protégé of FedorEmelianenko, moved up to heavyweight in 2024 and captured PFLgold last December.
Bilostenniy is 4-1 in the PFL and has earned notable finishes overKarlWilliams, TyrellFortune and former PFL champion RenanFerreira. Like Nemkov, he trains under the Team Fedor bannerand has previously shared training camps with the champion.
This marks the first PFL main event in Dubai since the promotion'smerger with Most Valuable Promotions.
"Dubai has become a special city for PFL and the site of someunforgettable moments in our history," PFL CEO John Martin said ina press release. "Both fighters have roots in Team Fedor andrepresent the next generation of Russia's storied heavyweighttradition and now they'll meet to determine who sits atop one ofthe most prestigious divisions in combat sports."
#nemkov #team #former #main
The promotion recently announced that former Bellatorchamp Nemkov (20-2) will meet the No. 3-ranked Bilostenniy (15-4)in the main event of PFL Dubai on Nov. 14 at Coca-Cola Arena.
Nemkov, a protégé of FedorEmelianenko, moved up to heavyweight in 2024 and captured PFLgold last December.
Bilostenniy is 4-1 in the PFL and has earned notable finishes overKarlWilliams, TyrellFortune and former PFL champion RenanFerreira. Like Nemkov, he trains under the Team Fedor bannerand has previously shared training camps with the champion.
This marks the first PFL main event in Dubai since the promotion'smerger with Most Valuable Promotions.
"Dubai has become a special city for PFL and the site of someunforgettable moments in our history," PFL CEO John Martin said ina press release. "Both fighters have roots in Team Fedor andrepresent the next generation of Russia's storied heavyweighttradition and now they'll meet to determine who sits atop one ofthe most prestigious divisions in combat sports."
#nemkov #team #former #main
10 days ago
You know how you can tell when somebody's on the verge of extracting the prize from prizefighting? It's when they begin to dominate headlines without ever throwing a punch.
Oh, Usman Nurmagomedov came close to doing just that in his first unofficial Octagon visit. Last weekend in Shanghai he hopped the fence like a thief in the night after Song Yadong sent his older brother Umar "to the land of wind and ghosts," as my colleague Ben Fowlkes likes to say, loading up as if deliver an elbow as Song did his victory lap. Fortunately, he didn't do it, yet that semi-action — which Usman himself said was much ado about nothing — helped him generate more headlines than Song.
A couple of weeks prior, out in Philadelphia, Usman was shown on the UFC 330 broadcast sitting cageside, the first indications that the UFC is biding its time until it can sign him. It might've been the most exciting thing about the event. The word being tossed around about the world's top MMA free agent signing with the UFC has been "inevitable" ever since, which feels a little Calvinistic for a man of free will.
Everybody is talking about Usman Nurmagomedov. At just 28 and coming into his prime, he's undefeated at 22-0 (1 NC), and he has the sacred name. In fact, he's got two if you factor Kamaru into this. He has Bellator belts in the back of his closet somewhere, and PFL ******* les that he shows off at parties. Henry Cejudo said on a podcast this week that the PFL, Usman's longtime promotion, would go belly-up if they let the last of the invincible Nurmagomedov's walk.
"He leaves the PFL tomorrow, the PFL is finished," Cejudo declared. "Straight up."
#last #free #octagon
Oh, Usman Nurmagomedov came close to doing just that in his first unofficial Octagon visit. Last weekend in Shanghai he hopped the fence like a thief in the night after Song Yadong sent his older brother Umar "to the land of wind and ghosts," as my colleague Ben Fowlkes likes to say, loading up as if deliver an elbow as Song did his victory lap. Fortunately, he didn't do it, yet that semi-action — which Usman himself said was much ado about nothing — helped him generate more headlines than Song.
A couple of weeks prior, out in Philadelphia, Usman was shown on the UFC 330 broadcast sitting cageside, the first indications that the UFC is biding its time until it can sign him. It might've been the most exciting thing about the event. The word being tossed around about the world's top MMA free agent signing with the UFC has been "inevitable" ever since, which feels a little Calvinistic for a man of free will.
Everybody is talking about Usman Nurmagomedov. At just 28 and coming into his prime, he's undefeated at 22-0 (1 NC), and he has the sacred name. In fact, he's got two if you factor Kamaru into this. He has Bellator belts in the back of his closet somewhere, and PFL ******* les that he shows off at parties. Henry Cejudo said on a podcast this week that the PFL, Usman's longtime promotion, would go belly-up if they let the last of the invincible Nurmagomedov's walk.
"He leaves the PFL tomorrow, the PFL is finished," Cejudo declared. "Straight up."
#last #free #octagon
12 days ago
Khamzat Chimaev is back on the RAF mats and he has a fellow former UFC champion in his sights as he takes on Tyron Woodley on Saturday in the RAF Moscow main event.
RAF Moscow goes down at VTB Arena, with Chimaev and Woodley headlining, and Russian Olympic wrestling champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev taking on Zac Braunagel in the co-main event.
This marks Chimaev's second RAF appearance following a pinfall win over Dillon Danis this past June, while Woodley is also coming off of an RAF victory over Joaquin Buckley, Woodley's first combat sports victory of any kind since 2018. Previously, Chimaev and Woodley held UFC ***** les at 185 pounds and 170 pounds, respectively.
Sadulaev won gold in freestyle wrestling at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics and made his RAF debut in July against fellow Olympic champion and Kyle Snyder. Snyder picked up another win in their legendary rivalry, defeating Sadulaev by pinfall at RAF Georgia.
Also competing Saturday are wrestling stars Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Dake, and Kennedy Blades, as well as UFC fighters Bo Nickal and Shara Magomedov, former two-division ONE Championship ***** leholder Anatoly Malykhin, and former Bellator standout Neiman Gracie.
#chimaev #Wrestling #olympic #kyle
RAF Moscow goes down at VTB Arena, with Chimaev and Woodley headlining, and Russian Olympic wrestling champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev taking on Zac Braunagel in the co-main event.
This marks Chimaev's second RAF appearance following a pinfall win over Dillon Danis this past June, while Woodley is also coming off of an RAF victory over Joaquin Buckley, Woodley's first combat sports victory of any kind since 2018. Previously, Chimaev and Woodley held UFC ***** les at 185 pounds and 170 pounds, respectively.
Sadulaev won gold in freestyle wrestling at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics and made his RAF debut in July against fellow Olympic champion and Kyle Snyder. Snyder picked up another win in their legendary rivalry, defeating Sadulaev by pinfall at RAF Georgia.
Also competing Saturday are wrestling stars Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Dake, and Kennedy Blades, as well as UFC fighters Bo Nickal and Shara Magomedov, former two-division ONE Championship ***** leholder Anatoly Malykhin, and former Bellator standout Neiman Gracie.
#chimaev #Wrestling #olympic #kyle
18 days ago
The Professional Fighters League continues to build its upcomingevent, scheduled for Oct. 16 in Chicago.
The card will be headlined by an undisputed women's flyweight ******* lefight between LizCarmouche and JenaBishop. The bout is a rematch of the 2025 PFL women's flyweighttournament final, which Carmouche won by knockout.
Earlier this week, the promotion added a heavyweight matchupbetween DenisGoltsov and MaxwellDjantou Nana. An intriguing bantamweight contest has now joinedthe lineup.
Promotion officials confirmed to Sherdog that SarvarjonKhamidov (17-1) will face Rafaeldo Nascimento (13-3).
Khamidov is coming off a second-round submission victory over PFLtournament finalist JustinWetzell in June. The contest marked Khamidov's first appearanceof 2026.
A veteran of BellatorMMA and the PFL, Khamidov has steadily advanced through thebantamweight division.
Do Nascimento, a Legacy Fighting Alliance vet, also enters the matchup followinga win. In his PFL debut, he upset LewisMcGrillen-Evans by second-round submission.
#nascimento #khamidov #PROMOTION #professional
The card will be headlined by an undisputed women's flyweight ******* lefight between LizCarmouche and JenaBishop. The bout is a rematch of the 2025 PFL women's flyweighttournament final, which Carmouche won by knockout.
Earlier this week, the promotion added a heavyweight matchupbetween DenisGoltsov and MaxwellDjantou Nana. An intriguing bantamweight contest has now joinedthe lineup.
Promotion officials confirmed to Sherdog that SarvarjonKhamidov (17-1) will face Rafaeldo Nascimento (13-3).
Khamidov is coming off a second-round submission victory over PFLtournament finalist JustinWetzell in June. The contest marked Khamidov's first appearanceof 2026.
A veteran of BellatorMMA and the PFL, Khamidov has steadily advanced through thebantamweight division.
Do Nascimento, a Legacy Fighting Alliance vet, also enters the matchup followinga win. In his PFL debut, he upset LewisMcGrillen-Evans by second-round submission.
#nascimento #khamidov #PROMOTION #professional
23 days ago
Women's fighting pioneer and legend Cris Cyborg made the walk for her final mixed martial arts fight on Saturday in the PFL Tampa main event. He faced fellow Brazilian Ketlen Vieira. While no longer in her prime, the former Strikeforce, Invicta FC, UFC and Bellator Women's Featherweight World Champion go the job done.
Check out the fight highlights.
#fight #saturday #brazilian #ketlen
Check out the fight highlights.
#fight #saturday #brazilian #ketlen
24 days ago
Uncrowned has PFL Tampa live results, round-by-round updates, highlights and start time for the Cris Cyborg vs. Ketlen Vieira fight card on Saturday night at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida. An all-time MMA great, reigning PFL featherweight champion Cris Cyborg looks to add to her legendary résumé with what could be her swan song in the sport. For Vieira, an upset win is the only thing up for grabs after she missed weight by seven pounds on Friday, making her ineligible to claim the **** le.
Cyborg (29-2) has mostly turned her attention to the boxing world since Bellator was acquired by the PFL in late 2023, though the "grand slam" MMA champion has also successfully secured PFL **** le victories against the likes of Larissa Pacheco and Sara Collins. Much has been made about the Vieira fight being Cyborg's last in MMA, but the merger between PFL and Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions has opened the door to new opportunities for Cyborg, regardless of whether she wins or loses.
Vieira (16-5) enters her would-be PFL **** le shot in her promotional debut after parting ways with the UFC earlier this year. The longtime bantamweight contender last scored a unanimous decision victory against Jacqueline Cavalcanti in May, finishing out her UFC contract. She went 10-5 in her decade-long stint with the organization.
PFL Tampa: Cyborg vs. Vieira begins at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with the main card starting at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Follow along with Uncrowned's live PFL Tampa results, highlights and live blog below, including round-by-round play-by-play of the Cyborg vs. Vieira main event.
#round
Cyborg (29-2) has mostly turned her attention to the boxing world since Bellator was acquired by the PFL in late 2023, though the "grand slam" MMA champion has also successfully secured PFL **** le victories against the likes of Larissa Pacheco and Sara Collins. Much has been made about the Vieira fight being Cyborg's last in MMA, but the merger between PFL and Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions has opened the door to new opportunities for Cyborg, regardless of whether she wins or loses.
Vieira (16-5) enters her would-be PFL **** le shot in her promotional debut after parting ways with the UFC earlier this year. The longtime bantamweight contender last scored a unanimous decision victory against Jacqueline Cavalcanti in May, finishing out her UFC contract. She went 10-5 in her decade-long stint with the organization.
PFL Tampa: Cyborg vs. Vieira begins at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with the main card starting at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Follow along with Uncrowned's live PFL Tampa results, highlights and live blog below, including round-by-round play-by-play of the Cyborg vs. Vieira main event.
#round
29 days ago
CharlesJohnson claims he's proficient in the Scottish twister.
Johnson (20-9) was originally scheduled to fight Jose Ochoain an Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight tilt. However, Ochoawithdrew after the tragic death of his Chute Boxe teammate, AllanNascimento.
Dana White's Contender Series graduate EduardoHenrique stepped up on three days' notice to replace Ochoaagainst Johnson, who earned a bonus for a sensational and raresubmission.
While Henrique was efficient on the feet, Johnson wore him out witha well-rounded approach. As Henrique was trying to reverse atakedown, "InnerG" caught him in a Scottish twister to force thetap in the third round. Johnson's Scottish twister was the secondever in UFC history, following MurtazaliMagomedov's win over MelsikBaghdasaryan this past June.
Johnson claims he regularly trains the move in practice andsuccessfully lands it at least once a week. The flyweight veteranalso revealed that he learned the move from former BellatorMMA bantamweight champion Patrick"Patchy" Mix.
"I hit that at least once or twice a week on people in practice, soit's just about getting there," Johnson said at the post-fightpress conference. "Patchy Mix actually showed me that move, so I'mgoing to give him his flowers, man. He showed it to me about a yearand a half ago."
Johnson has struggled for consistency in his last six outings, buthas remained active, already recording four fights this year.
#patchy
Johnson (20-9) was originally scheduled to fight Jose Ochoain an Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight tilt. However, Ochoawithdrew after the tragic death of his Chute Boxe teammate, AllanNascimento.
Dana White's Contender Series graduate EduardoHenrique stepped up on three days' notice to replace Ochoaagainst Johnson, who earned a bonus for a sensational and raresubmission.
While Henrique was efficient on the feet, Johnson wore him out witha well-rounded approach. As Henrique was trying to reverse atakedown, "InnerG" caught him in a Scottish twister to force thetap in the third round. Johnson's Scottish twister was the secondever in UFC history, following MurtazaliMagomedov's win over MelsikBaghdasaryan this past June.
Johnson claims he regularly trains the move in practice andsuccessfully lands it at least once a week. The flyweight veteranalso revealed that he learned the move from former BellatorMMA bantamweight champion Patrick"Patchy" Mix.
"I hit that at least once or twice a week on people in practice, soit's just about getting there," Johnson said at the post-fightpress conference. "Patchy Mix actually showed me that move, so I'mgoing to give him his flowers, man. He showed it to me about a yearand a half ago."
Johnson has struggled for consistency in his last six outings, buthas remained active, already recording four fights this year.
#patchy
30 days ago
Alexandre Pantoja looks to get his UFC belt back at UFC 331.
The former UFC flyweight champion lost his belt against Joshua Van last December when he suffered an injury in the first round, but gets his anticipated rematch in the UFC 331 main event at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sept. 19.
Arman Tsakruyan makes his long-awaited return against Mauricio Ruffy in a pivotal lightweight contest. The winner of the UFC 331 co-main event could get a ****** le shot against UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
Patricio Pitbull, who has lost two of his three UFC fights since coming over from Bellator, faces Doo Ho Choi, who has won three straight fights, on the main card.
Former UFC featherweight ****** le contender Brian Ortega is once again slated to face Renato Moicano after dropping out of a fight against Moicano earlier this year.
#belt #Event
The former UFC flyweight champion lost his belt against Joshua Van last December when he suffered an injury in the first round, but gets his anticipated rematch in the UFC 331 main event at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sept. 19.
Arman Tsakruyan makes his long-awaited return against Mauricio Ruffy in a pivotal lightweight contest. The winner of the UFC 331 co-main event could get a ****** le shot against UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
Patricio Pitbull, who has lost two of his three UFC fights since coming over from Bellator, faces Doo Ho Choi, who has won three straight fights, on the main card.
Former UFC featherweight ****** le contender Brian Ortega is once again slated to face Renato Moicano after dropping out of a fight against Moicano earlier this year.
#belt #Event
1 month ago
Ahead of his return to the BKFC ring, Darren Till was involved in a street altercation outside of a pub in his hometown of Liverpool, England.
Till is hoping to continue his good start to life with the BKFC, following his debut knockout win over Bellator and BAMMA veteran Aaron Chalmers. A step up in competition is an understatement for the Scouser, whose second fight with his new promotion sees him compete against a several-time UFC **** le challenger and Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero.
The fight is one of the sport's most anticipated matchups, but Darren Till, eager to return to action, has been making headlines outside the ring. Till was involved in an incident that circulated online earlier this week. The 33-year-old can be seen aggressively confronting the towering 6-foot-5 Lee Browne outside o the Blarney Stone Irish Pub on Renshaw Street in Liverpool.
The situation quickly became heated, with Till sizing up Browne while screaming, "Who's a sh*thouse? I'm right here now, and you're saying nothing," likely referring back to their online feud in the weeks prior. Browne had spent weeks trash-talking the former UFC fighter, calling 'The Gorilla' a coward and accusing him of ducking a fight between the two.
Not willing to settle their grudge with words, Darren Till hit Lee Browne with a barrage of punches, sending him crashing to the floor before a crowd of onlookers.
#till #browne
Till is hoping to continue his good start to life with the BKFC, following his debut knockout win over Bellator and BAMMA veteran Aaron Chalmers. A step up in competition is an understatement for the Scouser, whose second fight with his new promotion sees him compete against a several-time UFC **** le challenger and Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero.
The fight is one of the sport's most anticipated matchups, but Darren Till, eager to return to action, has been making headlines outside the ring. Till was involved in an incident that circulated online earlier this week. The 33-year-old can be seen aggressively confronting the towering 6-foot-5 Lee Browne outside o the Blarney Stone Irish Pub on Renshaw Street in Liverpool.
The situation quickly became heated, with Till sizing up Browne while screaming, "Who's a sh*thouse? I'm right here now, and you're saying nothing," likely referring back to their online feud in the weeks prior. Browne had spent weeks trash-talking the former UFC fighter, calling 'The Gorilla' a coward and accusing him of ducking a fight between the two.
Not willing to settle their grudge with words, Darren Till hit Lee Browne with a barrage of punches, sending him crashing to the floor before a crowd of onlookers.
#till #browne
1 month ago
The injury bug has bitten Dakota Ditcheva once again. The standout fighter who's struggled to stay healthy since winning the 2024 PFL flyweight tournament announced she'll be headed back on the sidelines for an extended period following her latest victory.
PFL New York saw Ditcheva, 28, make a triumphant return two weeks ago when she earned a lopsided unanimous decision against former Bellator kickboxing champion Denise Kielholts. The flyweight star, however, revealed on her YouTube channel on Sunday that she has once again suffered a pair of broken hands.
"Breaking news: I am injured again. I broke my hands in the fight," Ditcheva said. "I could feel it from the second I started the second round. I didn't tell my corner. I didn't tell anybody. I didn't show it this time, and I didn't actually tell anybody until I got out of the cage.
"I am back in splints until my surgeon has decided what the next steps are going forward, which will be in the next few days."
Broken hands are nothing new for Ditcheva. The Kielholtz fight acted as Ditcheva's return to action after a dominant win against Sumiko Inaba in July 2025. Like in this latest appearance, Ditcheva first broke her hands in that bout, leading to her recovering for the better part of the year that followed.
#tell #return
PFL New York saw Ditcheva, 28, make a triumphant return two weeks ago when she earned a lopsided unanimous decision against former Bellator kickboxing champion Denise Kielholts. The flyweight star, however, revealed on her YouTube channel on Sunday that she has once again suffered a pair of broken hands.
"Breaking news: I am injured again. I broke my hands in the fight," Ditcheva said. "I could feel it from the second I started the second round. I didn't tell my corner. I didn't tell anybody. I didn't show it this time, and I didn't actually tell anybody until I got out of the cage.
"I am back in splints until my surgeon has decided what the next steps are going forward, which will be in the next few days."
Broken hands are nothing new for Ditcheva. The Kielholtz fight acted as Ditcheva's return to action after a dominant win against Sumiko Inaba in July 2025. Like in this latest appearance, Ditcheva first broke her hands in that bout, leading to her recovering for the better part of the year that followed.
#tell #return
1 month ago
Chidi Njokuani will compete at UFC 330 after all.
On Wednesday, the promotion announced via social media that Joel Alvarez is set to step in on short notice to face Njokuani at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. The event takes place Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena and streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Alvaro Colmenero first reported the matchup via Twitter.
Alvarez steps in for Geoff Neal who was forced to withdraw from the bout. After a 7-2 run at lightweight that — including seven finishes — Alvarez made the move up to the welterweight division, winning his 170-pound debut via decision against Vicente Luque at UFC Rio this past October. "El Fenomeno" would have a rough go in his sophomore welterweight appearance as he was dominated and stopped by former Bellator champ Yaroslav Amosov at UFC 328 in May.
Njokuani remains on the card in hopes of snapping a two-fight skid, including a 69-second submission loss to Jake Matthews at UFC Nashville in July 2025, and a unanimous decision loss to Carlos Leal at February's UFC Houston event.
#njokuani #welterweight #decision #joel
On Wednesday, the promotion announced via social media that Joel Alvarez is set to step in on short notice to face Njokuani at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. The event takes place Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena and streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Alvaro Colmenero first reported the matchup via Twitter.
Alvarez steps in for Geoff Neal who was forced to withdraw from the bout. After a 7-2 run at lightweight that — including seven finishes — Alvarez made the move up to the welterweight division, winning his 170-pound debut via decision against Vicente Luque at UFC Rio this past October. "El Fenomeno" would have a rough go in his sophomore welterweight appearance as he was dominated and stopped by former Bellator champ Yaroslav Amosov at UFC 328 in May.
Njokuani remains on the card in hopes of snapping a two-fight skid, including a 69-second submission loss to Jake Matthews at UFC Nashville in July 2025, and a unanimous decision loss to Carlos Leal at February's UFC Houston event.
#njokuani #welterweight #decision #joel
1 month ago
The gloves are coming off once again for Aspen Ladd.
Ladd, a former UFC and PFL fighter, will give it a second go in bareknuckle boxing when she makes her BKB debut. The promotion on Tuesday announced that Ladd is set to meet Bianca Daimoni at BKB 58 on Aug. 29 from James L. Knight Center in Miami.
Ladd, 31, first tried her hand at bareknuckle in BKFC last November when she knocked out Shyanna Bintliff in the first round at BKFC 84.
Ladd's move to bareknuckle came 15 months after her most recent MMA fight in the PFL, a unanimous decision win over Ekaterina Shakalova at Bellator Champions Series 2 in May 2024.
Ladd spent five years in the UFC and competed seven times in the octagon, going 4-3 during her tenure.
#knight
Ladd, a former UFC and PFL fighter, will give it a second go in bareknuckle boxing when she makes her BKB debut. The promotion on Tuesday announced that Ladd is set to meet Bianca Daimoni at BKB 58 on Aug. 29 from James L. Knight Center in Miami.
Ladd, 31, first tried her hand at bareknuckle in BKFC last November when she knocked out Shyanna Bintliff in the first round at BKFC 84.
Ladd's move to bareknuckle came 15 months after her most recent MMA fight in the PFL, a unanimous decision win over Ekaterina Shakalova at Bellator Champions Series 2 in May 2024.
Ladd spent five years in the UFC and competed seven times in the octagon, going 4-3 during her tenure.
#knight
2 months ago
Professional Fighters League's return to UBS Arena in LongIsland, New York, was punctuated by a majestic performance in themain event.
The PFL New York headliner saw current 155-pound ***** leholderUsmanNurmagomedov (22-0, 1 NC; 4-0 PFL) defend his championshipagainst ArchieColgan (13-1, 2-1 PFL). After a feeling-out couple of minutesin the center of the cage, Nurmagomedov connected with a head kickon his opponent's temple before following up with a big left handthat dropped Colgan. Shortly after the American managed torecompose himself and get back to his feet, Nurmagomedov followedup with more uppercuts that sent "King" to his knees. Smellingblood, the Dagestani landed more punches before referee KeithPeterson waved it off at the 3:42 mark of Round 1. In hispost-fight interview, Nurmagomedov was noncommittal about hisfuture in the promotion, since Friday's fight was the last on hiscurrent contract.
In the co-main event, DakotaDitcheva (16-0, 11-0 PFL) made a successful return from ayear-long injury hiatus, taking on former BellatorMMA ***** le challenger DeniseKielholtz (9-6, 1-1 PFL). "Dangerous" showed no cage rust,combining clean, sharp striking with effective takedowns, puttingany concerns about the injured hand to rest. Ditcheva made the mostof her reach, attacking from range with front kicks to the head andmidsection, while Kielholtz answered with a few spinning attacksbut overall posed little threat. The pace slowed in the thirdframe, drawing scattered boos as Ditcheva went the distance for thethird time in her otherwise finish-heavy career. When the dustsettled, all three judges scored it 30-27 for Ditcheva.
In a 157-pound catchweight tilt, AmruMagomedov (10-0, 2-0 PFL) kept his record unblemished byovercoming AngelAlvarez (11-3, 1-1 PFL). Magomedov attacked with a variety ofstrikes out of the gate, but his kicks proved to be his most lethalweapon. After "Salsa King," who failed to make the contracted155-pound weight limit the day before, crumpled from the damage,Magomedov poured it on until referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in at 4:28 ofRound 2.
An elitemiddleweight clash headlines PFL Charlotte: Tune on Friday, Aug. 7at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The main card opener saw former Ares Fighting Championship205-pound kingpin MoustaphaDiakhate (6-0-1, 1-0 PFL) make a statement in his promotionaldebut, crushing last-minute replacement DarrylKing Walker (2-1, 0-1 PFL). "Black Black" hunted his opponentdown with strikes from the opening bell before taking the fight to the canvas and finishing "The Sacred Beast"from mount at 2:35 into the opening stanza.
In the featured fight on the preliminary card, LazaroDayron (11-0-1, 3-0-1 PFL) relied on his crisp striking andwell-timed takedowns to outpoint former interim Bellator MMA135-pound ***** leholder RaufeonStots (21-5, 1-3 PFL) at the end of a close contest, with twojudges scoring 29-28 in favor of "El Cazador" and one 29-28 for"Supa"; earlier, Sean Gauci(12-1, 2-0 PFL) dominated AllanB
The PFL New York headliner saw current 155-pound ***** leholderUsmanNurmagomedov (22-0, 1 NC; 4-0 PFL) defend his championshipagainst ArchieColgan (13-1, 2-1 PFL). After a feeling-out couple of minutesin the center of the cage, Nurmagomedov connected with a head kickon his opponent's temple before following up with a big left handthat dropped Colgan. Shortly after the American managed torecompose himself and get back to his feet, Nurmagomedov followedup with more uppercuts that sent "King" to his knees. Smellingblood, the Dagestani landed more punches before referee KeithPeterson waved it off at the 3:42 mark of Round 1. In hispost-fight interview, Nurmagomedov was noncommittal about hisfuture in the promotion, since Friday's fight was the last on hiscurrent contract.
In the co-main event, DakotaDitcheva (16-0, 11-0 PFL) made a successful return from ayear-long injury hiatus, taking on former BellatorMMA ***** le challenger DeniseKielholtz (9-6, 1-1 PFL). "Dangerous" showed no cage rust,combining clean, sharp striking with effective takedowns, puttingany concerns about the injured hand to rest. Ditcheva made the mostof her reach, attacking from range with front kicks to the head andmidsection, while Kielholtz answered with a few spinning attacksbut overall posed little threat. The pace slowed in the thirdframe, drawing scattered boos as Ditcheva went the distance for thethird time in her otherwise finish-heavy career. When the dustsettled, all three judges scored it 30-27 for Ditcheva.
In a 157-pound catchweight tilt, AmruMagomedov (10-0, 2-0 PFL) kept his record unblemished byovercoming AngelAlvarez (11-3, 1-1 PFL). Magomedov attacked with a variety ofstrikes out of the gate, but his kicks proved to be his most lethalweapon. After "Salsa King," who failed to make the contracted155-pound weight limit the day before, crumpled from the damage,Magomedov poured it on until referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in at 4:28 ofRound 2.
An elitemiddleweight clash headlines PFL Charlotte: Tune on Friday, Aug. 7at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The main card opener saw former Ares Fighting Championship205-pound kingpin MoustaphaDiakhate (6-0-1, 1-0 PFL) make a statement in his promotionaldebut, crushing last-minute replacement DarrylKing Walker (2-1, 0-1 PFL). "Black Black" hunted his opponentdown with strikes from the opening bell before taking the fight to the canvas and finishing "The Sacred Beast"from mount at 2:35 into the opening stanza.
In the featured fight on the preliminary card, LazaroDayron (11-0-1, 3-0-1 PFL) relied on his crisp striking andwell-timed takedowns to outpoint former interim Bellator MMA135-pound ***** leholder RaufeonStots (21-5, 1-3 PFL) at the end of a close contest, with twojudges scoring 29-28 in favor of "El Cazador" and one 29-28 for"Supa"; earlier, Sean Gauci(12-1, 2-0 PFL) dominated AllanB
2 months ago
Professional Fighters League (PFL) continues its Summer Series later TONIGHT (Fri., July 31, 2026) as PFL New York goes down from inside UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. Headlining the event will be a Lightweight ***** le fight as division kingpin, Usman Nurmagomedov, defends the strap against Archie Colgan.
Nurmagomedov (21-0) is looking to lock down his second-ever ***** le defense, with his first coming against Alfie Davis earlier this year, submitting him via triangle choke at PFL Dubai (see it again here). As for Colgan, he is undefeated (13-0) and is 2-0 under PFL's banner. Prior to that, Colgan had racked up a record of 7-0 under Bellator MMA's banner.
Many readers check in before, during and after the fights to share their thoughts on all of the action, as the main card kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on the ESPN App and ESPN2. Feel free to leave a comment (or several) about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it's always a lot of fun!
In the co-main event, striking superstar, Dakota Ditcheva, returns after a rare year-long layoff in an effort to improve on her mint record of (15-0, 10-0 PFL), taking on long-time combat veteran, Denise Kielholtz, in a women's Flyweight (cough, squash) match. The two were set to throw down at PFL Dubai earlier this year, but the bout had to be rescheduled after Ditcheva withdrew with an injury (more details here).
155 lbs.: Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Archie Colgan – Nurmagomedov wins via first-round knockout
125 lbs.: Dakota Ditcheva vs. Denise Kielholtz -Ditcheva wins via unanimous decision – HIGHLIGHTS!
155 lbs.: Amru Magomedov vs. Angel Alvarez – Magomedov wins via second round TKO
205 lbs.: Moustapha Diakhate vs. Zacharia Nishimwe – Diakhate via first-round TKO
135 lbs.: Raufeon Stots vs. Lazaro Dayron – Dayron wins via split-decision
135 lbs.: Sean Gauci vs. Alan Begosso – Gauci wins via unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Jonathan Piersma vs. Omar El Dafrawy – Dafrawy wins via unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Montana De La Rosa vs. Tatiana Postarnakova- Postarnakova wins via split-decision
155 lbs.: Chamy Delva vs. Levan Khabalaev – Khabalaev wins via first-round TKO
#decision
Nurmagomedov (21-0) is looking to lock down his second-ever ***** le defense, with his first coming against Alfie Davis earlier this year, submitting him via triangle choke at PFL Dubai (see it again here). As for Colgan, he is undefeated (13-0) and is 2-0 under PFL's banner. Prior to that, Colgan had racked up a record of 7-0 under Bellator MMA's banner.
Many readers check in before, during and after the fights to share their thoughts on all of the action, as the main card kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on the ESPN App and ESPN2. Feel free to leave a comment (or several) about the bouts and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show — it's always a lot of fun!
In the co-main event, striking superstar, Dakota Ditcheva, returns after a rare year-long layoff in an effort to improve on her mint record of (15-0, 10-0 PFL), taking on long-time combat veteran, Denise Kielholtz, in a women's Flyweight (cough, squash) match. The two were set to throw down at PFL Dubai earlier this year, but the bout had to be rescheduled after Ditcheva withdrew with an injury (more details here).
155 lbs.: Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Archie Colgan – Nurmagomedov wins via first-round knockout
125 lbs.: Dakota Ditcheva vs. Denise Kielholtz -Ditcheva wins via unanimous decision – HIGHLIGHTS!
155 lbs.: Amru Magomedov vs. Angel Alvarez – Magomedov wins via second round TKO
205 lbs.: Moustapha Diakhate vs. Zacharia Nishimwe – Diakhate via first-round TKO
135 lbs.: Raufeon Stots vs. Lazaro Dayron – Dayron wins via split-decision
135 lbs.: Sean Gauci vs. Alan Begosso – Gauci wins via unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Jonathan Piersma vs. Omar El Dafrawy – Dafrawy wins via unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Montana De La Rosa vs. Tatiana Postarnakova- Postarnakova wins via split-decision
155 lbs.: Chamy Delva vs. Levan Khabalaev – Khabalaev wins via first-round TKO
#decision
2 months ago
Uncrowned has PFL New York live results, round-by-round updates, highlights and start time for the Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Archie Colgan and Dakota Ditcheva vs. Denise Kielholtz fight card on Friday night at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. In the main event, PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov defends his 155-pound ****** le against undefeated American challenger Archie Colgan in a five-round showdown.
Nurmagomedov (21-0, 1 NC) is widely considered one the top talents in the world outside of the UFC. The younger brother of UFC contender Umar Nurmagomedov and cousin of former UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nurmagomedov is competing on the final fight of his PFL contract. He's a perfect 3-0 since joining the promotion following PFL's acquisition of Bellator in 2024, a run highlighted by two wins over Paul Hughes.
Colgan (13-0) is also an undefeated Bellator export. The Colorado native has won back-to-back decisions over Mansour Barnaoui and Jay Jay Wilson since transitioning to the PFL brand, the most recent of which came in October.
Top PFL star Dakota Ditcheva (15-0) makes his long-awaited return against Denise Kielholtz (9-5) in the night's three-round co-main event.
PFL New York starts at 4:30 p.m. ET with a five-fight preliminary card on ESPN+. The main card kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
#round #card #dakota
Nurmagomedov (21-0, 1 NC) is widely considered one the top talents in the world outside of the UFC. The younger brother of UFC contender Umar Nurmagomedov and cousin of former UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nurmagomedov is competing on the final fight of his PFL contract. He's a perfect 3-0 since joining the promotion following PFL's acquisition of Bellator in 2024, a run highlighted by two wins over Paul Hughes.
Colgan (13-0) is also an undefeated Bellator export. The Colorado native has won back-to-back decisions over Mansour Barnaoui and Jay Jay Wilson since transitioning to the PFL brand, the most recent of which came in October.
Top PFL star Dakota Ditcheva (15-0) makes his long-awaited return against Denise Kielholtz (9-5) in the night's three-round co-main event.
PFL New York starts at 4:30 p.m. ET with a five-fight preliminary card on ESPN+. The main card kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
#round #card #dakota
2 months ago
The official weigh ins for PFL New York took place earlier this morning ahead of tomorrow's "Usman vs. Colgan" fight card, which goes down Fri., July 31, 2026, inside UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York.
In the main event, undefeated Lightweight standouts Usman Nurmagomedov and Archie Colgan both successfully made the championship mark ahead of their 155-pound Professional Fighters League (PFL) ****** le fight.
Nurmagomedov (21-0) weighed in at 154.8 pounds, while "King" Colgan (13-0) also came in at 154.8 pounds, making the highly anticipated ****** le fight official.
In the co-main event, PFL Flyweight superstar Dakota Ditcheva finally returns to action after one year away when she collides with longtime Bellator veteran Denise Kielholtz.
Ditcheva, who is one of the biggest betting favorites in mixed martial arts (MMA) history this week, also made weight with no issues. "Dangerous" tipped the scale at 125.8 pounds, while Kielholtz came in well under the limit at 121.8 pounds.
#fight #kielholtz
In the main event, undefeated Lightweight standouts Usman Nurmagomedov and Archie Colgan both successfully made the championship mark ahead of their 155-pound Professional Fighters League (PFL) ****** le fight.
Nurmagomedov (21-0) weighed in at 154.8 pounds, while "King" Colgan (13-0) also came in at 154.8 pounds, making the highly anticipated ****** le fight official.
In the co-main event, PFL Flyweight superstar Dakota Ditcheva finally returns to action after one year away when she collides with longtime Bellator veteran Denise Kielholtz.
Ditcheva, who is one of the biggest betting favorites in mixed martial arts (MMA) history this week, also made weight with no issues. "Dangerous" tipped the scale at 125.8 pounds, while Kielholtz came in well under the limit at 121.8 pounds.
#fight #kielholtz
2 months ago
A featherweight clash between Patricio Pitbull and Doo Ho Choi is on for UFC 331 on Sept. 19; multiple people with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to MMA Fighting.
The numbered event will take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The promotion has yet to announce the headlining attraction for UFC 331.
Pitbull (37-9) attempts to rebound from a decision defeat to Aaron Pico in April, a result that dropped his UFC record to 1-2.
The Brazilian is a former two-division champion in Bellator, going 24-6 in that company before joining the UFC, and is currently ranked No. 15 on the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Pitbull's lone UFC victory was a decision over Dan Ige.
Choi (17-4-1) won three straight since 2024, stopping Bill Algeo and Nate Landwehr that year before coming back to action this past May to score a knockout and earn a $50,000 check for a "Fight of the Night" win over Daniel Santos.
#pitbull #choi #fighting
The numbered event will take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The promotion has yet to announce the headlining attraction for UFC 331.
Pitbull (37-9) attempts to rebound from a decision defeat to Aaron Pico in April, a result that dropped his UFC record to 1-2.
The Brazilian is a former two-division champion in Bellator, going 24-6 in that company before joining the UFC, and is currently ranked No. 15 on the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. Pitbull's lone UFC victory was a decision over Dan Ige.
Choi (17-4-1) won three straight since 2024, stopping Bill Algeo and Nate Landwehr that year before coming back to action this past May to score a knockout and earn a $50,000 check for a "Fight of the Night" win over Daniel Santos.
#pitbull #choi #fighting
2 months ago
It's been seven years since one of the most memorable knockouts in UFC history — and for now, the fastest.
In the featured fight on the main card at UFC 329, which took place July 6, 2019, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Jorge Masvidal put away Ben Askren in 5 seconds to set the new promotional standard for fastest finish.
Masvidal went straight to the center of the cage and launched a flying knee, and it was on the ******* on. Askren, a former champion with Bellator and ONE Championship, never had lost a fight until then, let alone been put away. He came in 19-0 after a win in his UFC debut over ex-welterweight champ Robbie Lawler earlier in 2019.
But after Askren was starched by Masvidal, he fought just once more in the UFC – a submission loss to Demian Maia – before he left the sport. He boxed Jake Paul in 2021, but was knocked out in the first round. Most notably, though, he had a medical emergency a year ago that left him in a coma for more than six weeks, but his miraculous recovery continues, and may even continue to include competition.
For Masvidal, the win was in the midst of a one-year superstar run that saw him finish Darren Till, Askren and Nate Diaz – the latter of which won him the inaugural BMF ******* le. But after that, he lost four straight in the UFC and is inactive in MMA. He's competed in boxing, grappling and has his own promotion.
In the featured fight on the main card at UFC 329, which took place July 6, 2019, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Jorge Masvidal put away Ben Askren in 5 seconds to set the new promotional standard for fastest finish.
Masvidal went straight to the center of the cage and launched a flying knee, and it was on the ******* on. Askren, a former champion with Bellator and ONE Championship, never had lost a fight until then, let alone been put away. He came in 19-0 after a win in his UFC debut over ex-welterweight champ Robbie Lawler earlier in 2019.
But after Askren was starched by Masvidal, he fought just once more in the UFC – a submission loss to Demian Maia – before he left the sport. He boxed Jake Paul in 2021, but was knocked out in the first round. Most notably, though, he had a medical emergency a year ago that left him in a coma for more than six weeks, but his miraculous recovery continues, and may even continue to include competition.
For Masvidal, the win was in the midst of a one-year superstar run that saw him finish Darren Till, Askren and Nate Diaz – the latter of which won him the inaugural BMF ******* le. But after that, he lost four straight in the UFC and is inactive in MMA. He's competed in boxing, grappling and has his own promotion.
2 months ago
Just a few weeks after the biggest win of his career on his biggest stage yet, Mauricio Ruffy is rolling the dice on a trip to Las Vegas.
Ruffy (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) embarrassed former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler (23-11 MMA, 2-6 UFC) at the UFC White House card in June at lightweight. Sunday, he said he'll travel to "Sin City" this week for UFC 329, where he has offered his services as an emergency backup for the welterweight main event.
UFC 329 (Paramount+) sees the return of Conor McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) after five years away to take on former featherweight champion and ex-BMF ******* leholder Max Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) at T-Mobile Arena.
Ruffy posted a video to social media Sunday saying he'll travel to Las Vegas on Monday, and that his services are available if the UFC needs him to step in for either McGregor or Holloway. Ruffy showed himself stepping on the scale around 185 pounds and said a cut to welterweight would be a non-issue.
"I made myself available for the Conor McGregor fight (vs.) Max Holloway," Ruffy posted with his own Portuguese-to-English translation. "I'm going on a trip to Las Vegas.
Ruffy (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) embarrassed former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler (23-11 MMA, 2-6 UFC) at the UFC White House card in June at lightweight. Sunday, he said he'll travel to "Sin City" this week for UFC 329, where he has offered his services as an emergency backup for the welterweight main event.
UFC 329 (Paramount+) sees the return of Conor McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) after five years away to take on former featherweight champion and ex-BMF ******* leholder Max Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) at T-Mobile Arena.
Ruffy posted a video to social media Sunday saying he'll travel to Las Vegas on Monday, and that his services are available if the UFC needs him to step in for either McGregor or Holloway. Ruffy showed himself stepping on the scale around 185 pounds and said a cut to welterweight would be a non-issue.
"I made myself available for the Conor McGregor fight (vs.) Max Holloway," Ruffy posted with his own Portuguese-to-English translation. "I'm going on a trip to Las Vegas.
3 months ago
MMA Fighting has PFL San Diego results for the McKee vs. Isbulaev fight card and more from Pechange Arena in San Diego on Saturday.
In the main event, former Bellator champion A.J. McKee takes on the undefeated Salmat Isbulaev in featherweight contest.
McKee (24-2) is 2-0 since returning to the 145-pound division following back-to-back victories over Adam Borics and Akhmed Magomedov. He aims to the first fighter to beat Isbulaev (10-0), who defeated veteran Jesus Pinedo via first-round knockout in his PFL debut this past February.
In the co-main event, former Bellator champion, 2025 PFL tournament winner, and one-time UFC ***** le challenger Liz Carmouche (25-8) faces fellow former UFC fighter Viviane Araujo (14-7).
Check out full PFL San Diego results below.
In the main event, former Bellator champion A.J. McKee takes on the undefeated Salmat Isbulaev in featherweight contest.
McKee (24-2) is 2-0 since returning to the 145-pound division following back-to-back victories over Adam Borics and Akhmed Magomedov. He aims to the first fighter to beat Isbulaev (10-0), who defeated veteran Jesus Pinedo via first-round knockout in his PFL debut this past February.
In the co-main event, former Bellator champion, 2025 PFL tournament winner, and one-time UFC ***** le challenger Liz Carmouche (25-8) faces fellow former UFC fighter Viviane Araujo (14-7).
Check out full PFL San Diego results below.
3 months ago
Professional Fighters League CEO John Martin believes thepromotion needs to focus on brand building.
While the PFL is arguably the second-biggest MMA promotion in theworld, it remains well behind industry leader UFC in terms of popularity. Martin believes the focus of thePFL has shifted multiple times since its inception in 2017,hindering its growth as a brand. Martin notes that the acquisitionof Bellator in 2023 also came with a lot of issues.
Martin, who joined as the CEO of PFL last year, believes thepromotion is more important than individual fighters. Martin is nowtrying to build the brand of PFL.
"The PFL's seven years old," Martin told
While the PFL is arguably the second-biggest MMA promotion in theworld, it remains well behind industry leader UFC in terms of popularity. Martin believes the focus of thePFL has shifted multiple times since its inception in 2017,hindering its growth as a brand. Martin notes that the acquisitionof Bellator in 2023 also came with a lot of issues.
Martin, who joined as the CEO of PFL last year, believes thepromotion is more important than individual fighters. Martin is nowtrying to build the brand of PFL.
"The PFL's seven years old," Martin told
3 months ago
LAS VEGAS – Levan Chokheli met the media Saturday after his win over Leon Shahbazyan at UFC Fight Night 279.
Chokheli (15-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) came right after Shahbazyan (12-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on the prelims at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. He landed an early leg kick that hurt Shahbazyan, then a combo, then body shots to put him away. The quick finish came with former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili working his corner.
Chokheli's finish came in just 23 seconds in his UFC debut. The Bellator vet was a 4-1 betting favorite against Shahbazyan, the older brother of longtime UFC fighter Edmen Shahbazyan, in their welterweight fight. And maybe the 23 seconds wasn't planned, but the delivery method sure was, he said.
"I was working on this combination the last couple weeks. That's what I was doing. You saw my knockout, right? This calf kick, 1-2 and overhand to the body – that's what I was working for," Chokheli told MMA Junkie and other reporters at his post-fight news conference.
"… I'm Georgian. My wrestling is good, but I would rather stay on the feet and throw my hands. But in the future, the welterweight division is the toughest one. There are a lot of good jiu-jitsu guys and good wrestlers. When I face them, it will be time to show you my wrestling skills and my jiu-jitsu skills. But today was today. What I did was the game plan – nothing else."
Chokheli (15-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) came right after Shahbazyan (12-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on the prelims at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. He landed an early leg kick that hurt Shahbazyan, then a combo, then body shots to put him away. The quick finish came with former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili working his corner.
Chokheli's finish came in just 23 seconds in his UFC debut. The Bellator vet was a 4-1 betting favorite against Shahbazyan, the older brother of longtime UFC fighter Edmen Shahbazyan, in their welterweight fight. And maybe the 23 seconds wasn't planned, but the delivery method sure was, he said.
"I was working on this combination the last couple weeks. That's what I was doing. You saw my knockout, right? This calf kick, 1-2 and overhand to the body – that's what I was working for," Chokheli told MMA Junkie and other reporters at his post-fight news conference.
"… I'm Georgian. My wrestling is good, but I would rather stay on the feet and throw my hands. But in the future, the welterweight division is the toughest one. There are a lot of good jiu-jitsu guys and good wrestlers. When I face them, it will be time to show you my wrestling skills and my jiu-jitsu skills. But today was today. What I did was the game plan – nothing else."
3 months ago
The UFC delivered another solid event on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 279 from the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, where seven of the 12 bouts on the card ended inside the distance.
That included the main event, where Manel Kape (23-7 MMA, 8-3 UFC) made himself undeniable for a flyweight championship opportunity with a record-setting finish of former Bellator and Rizin FF ****** leholder Kyoji Horiguchi (36-6 MMA, 9-2 UFC).
Kape wasn't the only one who produced history on card, though. For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie's UFC Fight Night 279 post-event facts.
The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $168,000.
Debuting fighters went 3-2 at the event.
That included the main event, where Manel Kape (23-7 MMA, 8-3 UFC) made himself undeniable for a flyweight championship opportunity with a record-setting finish of former Bellator and Rizin FF ****** leholder Kyoji Horiguchi (36-6 MMA, 9-2 UFC).
Kape wasn't the only one who produced history on card, though. For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie's UFC Fight Night 279 post-event facts.
The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $168,000.
Debuting fighters went 3-2 at the event.
3 months ago
Michael Chandler’s dream to compete on the UFC White House card turned into a nightmare after Mauricio Ruffy picked him apart and ultimately delivered a first-round knockout.
The loss dropped Chandler to 2-6 in the UFC with a fourth defeat in a row overall as the 40-year-old veteran is now more than four years removed from his most recent win in the octagon. In his post-fight statement, Chandler didn’t even hint at retirement and vowed to come back better that never for his next fight.
But retired welterweight Matt Brown says that Chandler’s losing streak along with this latest performance proves that time has passed him by and he’s just no longer able to hang with UFC level competition.
“With Michael Chandler, just his whole UFC run hasn’t been anything of note,” Brown said on The Fighter vs. The Writer. “The fact that he’s as big of a star as he is in the UFC, I like Michael Chandler, I’m not trying to knock him, I’m just looking at objective facts — he shouldn’t be the star that he is in the UFC. He’s won two fights in the UFC, 2-6 and how are you 2-6 and you’re as big of a star as him? It doesn’t really add up. He was great in Bellator. He had the great fights with Eddie Alvarez and there’s definitely a lot of potential in him. He hasn’t reached his potential.
“I would not get excited to see him fight again. If I’m Dana White, I either cut him or tell him you need to retire. If he wanted to keep fighting, I think he would probably fit in other organizations. I’d like to see him in bare-knuckle. I’d like to see him maybe in Gamebred MMA, the bare-knuckle stuff. I think there’s fun things for him to do. He’s clearly not a UFC level guy though at 2-6. You can’t do that.”
The loss dropped Chandler to 2-6 in the UFC with a fourth defeat in a row overall as the 40-year-old veteran is now more than four years removed from his most recent win in the octagon. In his post-fight statement, Chandler didn’t even hint at retirement and vowed to come back better that never for his next fight.
But retired welterweight Matt Brown says that Chandler’s losing streak along with this latest performance proves that time has passed him by and he’s just no longer able to hang with UFC level competition.
“With Michael Chandler, just his whole UFC run hasn’t been anything of note,” Brown said on The Fighter vs. The Writer. “The fact that he’s as big of a star as he is in the UFC, I like Michael Chandler, I’m not trying to knock him, I’m just looking at objective facts — he shouldn’t be the star that he is in the UFC. He’s won two fights in the UFC, 2-6 and how are you 2-6 and you’re as big of a star as him? It doesn’t really add up. He was great in Bellator. He had the great fights with Eddie Alvarez and there’s definitely a lot of potential in him. He hasn’t reached his potential.
“I would not get excited to see him fight again. If I’m Dana White, I either cut him or tell him you need to retire. If he wanted to keep fighting, I think he would probably fit in other organizations. I’d like to see him in bare-knuckle. I’d like to see him maybe in Gamebred MMA, the bare-knuckle stuff. I think there’s fun things for him to do. He’s clearly not a UFC level guy though at 2-6. You can’t do that.”
