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Raquel Pennington Admits Julianna Pena Got Under Her Skin During ‘TUF 18’

When Raquel Pennington and Julianna Pena were part of “The Ultimate Fighter 18” cast in 2013, it seemed as though they would be destined to meet — either on the show or shortly thereafter.

However, the two bantamweights didn’t cross paths on the show, and it took more than a decade before they were finally booked to meet within the Las Vegas-based promotion. On Saturday, Pennington will defend her 135-pound belt against Pena in the UFC 307 co-main event at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. In a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com, Pennington looked back on her interactions with Pena on “TUF 18,” where she quickly learned that their personalities didn’t mesh.

“I’m not going to sit here and say I hate Julianna. I don’t hate anybody. I don’t have all these ill emotions towards her,” Pennington said. “Did she get under my skin on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’? Absolutely. On top of being taken out of your comfort zone, you’re living with somebody, but…

Kayla Harrison: ‘Only a Matter of Time’ Before I Become UFC Champion

Kayla Harrison might very well be the person nobody in the UFC women’s bantamweight division wants to face.

After a dominant stoppage win against Holly Holm in her promotional — and 135-pound — debut at UFC 300, the two-time Olympic gold medalist will return to action to face Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday. On that same card, reigning bantamweight queen Raquel Pennington will defend her belt against Julianna Pena in the co-main event. Both Pennington and Pena have not been shy about voicing their displeasure when it comes to Harrison’s quick ascent through the division.

"I think everyone knows that it is only a matter of time [before I become champion]," Harrison recently told ESPN. "When the truth don't hurt, they start telling lies.”

Pena, who hasn’t fought since a July 2022 title loss to Amanda Nunes, has questioned whether Harrison is a clean athlete.. The former PFL champion has consistently brushed off t…

Brendan Allen Responds to Dricus Du Plessis’ Dig After UFC Paris Loss

Brendan Allen believes he can beat Dricus Du Plessis even though he lost to Nassourdine Imavov on Saturday.

Allen faced Imavov in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 243 at the Accor Arena in Paris. While Allen controlled Imavov on the ground in the opening stanza, the Frenchman outstruck “All In” on the feet as the fight progressed to earn a unanimous decision win.

Allen has long been eyeing reigning champ Du Plessis and was expecting a title shot against the South African if he beat Imavov. Du Plessis didn’t miss the chance to take a dig at Allen immediately after his loss at UFC Paris.

Tough luck @BrendanAllenMMA JK you suck loser 🤣

— Dricus Du Plessis (@dricusduplessis) September 28, 2024

Allen wasted no time in responding, accusing Du Plessis of consistently ducking him. Allen also claims he can beat the middleweight champ even though it wasn’t his night against Imavov.

“Says the one been ducking me s…

Roberto Satoshi de Souza Stops Luiz Gustavo in 21 Seconds at Rizin 48

⏱️ 2️⃣ 1️⃣ SECONDS?! AND STILL💥

👑 LIGHTWEIGHT KING ROBERTO SATOSHI SOUZA GETS THE KO IN NO TIME 🇧🇷

🌎 For International FansLIVE AND FREE - TUNE IN NOW! ⬇️ https://t.co/yrws1Ftt8e

Featuring Michael Schiavello and Damien Brown on the mic! 🎤 #RIZIN #RIZIN48 #RIZINTV pic.twitter.com/c2Ummo0Bug

— RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) September 29, 2024 Rizin Fighting Federation lightweight champion Roberto Satoshi de Souza scored the fastest victory in his 11-year MMA career at Rizin 48 in Saitama, Japan. De Souza, who now has 14 first-round finishes on his resume, knocked out title challenger Luiz Gustavo in just 21 seconds to cap off an entertaining card. Shortly after the opening bell, de Souza (17-3, 10-2 Rizin) landed a body kick and a right hook to the temple of Gustavo (14-3, 6-3 Rizin), who was trying to close the distance. The punch badly hurt Gustavo, who fell to his knees and then briefly rose to his feet before de Souza se…

Sean Strickland Believes Alex Pereira Will Make ‘Easy Work’ of Khalil Rountree Jr.

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Sean Strickland thinks Khalil Rountree Jr. has nothing to offer Alex Pereira in their upcoming title fight.

Pereira will defend his light heavyweight title against Rountree in the main event at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Strickland is currently in Utah, helping his former foe train for his upcoming fight.

Strickland suffered a knockout loss against “Poatan” in 2022 and has since repeatedly acknowledged the Brazilian’s power and skillset. The former foes have trained together on multiple occasions. The former middleweight champ also has his own history with Rountree, having trained together in the past. Strickland first went off on Rountree for an emotional post-fight interview in 2022, calling the light heavyweight contender “a special needs adult.” Strickland has recently renewed his onslaught on Rountree leading up to UFC 307, recalling alleged instances from their past encounters.

UFC 307:…

Alex Pereira Dismisses Accusations of Avoiding Fight Against Magomed Ankalaev

Alex Pereira DENIES avoiding the Magomed Ankalaev fight:

“You gotta sort that with the organization…

It’s not my fault that Ankalaev has such a boring style of fighting that nobody wants to watch.”

🎥 @KevinI #UFC #MMA #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/42OS04SuHr

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 28, 2024 Alex Pereira maintains that he never turned down an offer to fight Magomed Ankalaev.

Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. While he is riding a five-fight winning streak with four finishes, Rountree surpassing Ankalaev for a title shot was nonetheless a bit of a surprise.

Currently unbeaten in his last 12 outings, Ankalaev will face Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. While many consider Ankalaev the rightful contender, Pereira previously hinted that the R…

UFC Fight Night 243 Bonuses: Fares Ziam Earns $50K for ‘KO of the Year’ Contender

A picture-perfect knee made Fares Ziam $50,000 richer on Saturday in Paris.

The Kill Cliff FC-trained Frenchman secured one of four “Performance of the Night” bonuses awarded by the promotion at UFC Fight Night 243 for his third-round knockout of Matt Frevola in a featured lightweight encounter. Ziam rendered his opponent unconscious — dislodging his mouthpiece in the process — with a vicious knee in close quarters at the 2:59 mark of Round 3.

Elsewhere, Bryan Battle overwhelmed Kevin Jousset with striking volume to garner a $50,000 check in a welterweight bout. “The Ultimate Fighter 29” winner put Jousset on his heels for good in the second stanza and sealed his victory with one final barrage at the 3:47 mark of the period.

Meanwhile, Morgan Charriere did his best to match countryman Ziam with a highlight-reel knockout of Gabriel Miranda in a featherweight showcase. “The Last Pirate” caught his foe off guard with a sneaky left hook 27 secon…

‘Moicano’ Batters Benoit St. Denis, Forces Doctor Stoppage in UFC Paris Headliner

Renato "Moicano" Carneiro could be a dark horse contender for "Fighter of the Year." With wins over Drew Dober and Jalin Turner, Carneiro cemented himself as an elite lightweight contender with a bloody beatdown of Benoit St. Denis in front of thousands of opposing French fans in the UFC Fight Night 243 main event Saturday at the Accor Arena in Paris.

Carneiro (20-5-1) battered St. Denis throughout the opening stanza, busting his eyes and nose open with elbows and nasty ground-and-pound. The “God of War” was forced to cover up and wait out the bell to find peace. St. Denis’ corner pleaded with him to wake up or he would be humiliated in front of his hometown fans, but there was little he could do to slow down the Brazillian.

Caneiro kept the leather on St. Denis in the second round. With both eyes swollen and blood profusely leaking out his face, St. Denis sat on the stool, stunned, as his corner worked to clean him up. Their work was impressive, but…

PFL Europe 2024 Finals Set, Steven Ray Hits Twister in Glasgow Main Event

THE SCOTTISH TWISTER RETURNS! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Stevie Ray stops Lewis Long via submission in front of his family and his home crowd! #PFLGlasgow | LIVE NOW ON DAZN pic.twitter.com/J5oxpXNQIq

— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) September 28, 2024 PFL Europe 3 determined the 2024 playoff finals and saw several Scottish fighters compete in Glasgow.

Headlining the 14-fight Professional Fighters League event was a welterweight fight between hometown favorite Steven Ray and Lewis Long. There was immediate drama as Long (19-8) went for a takedown and got stuck in a tight guillotine choke attempt by the Scottish fighter. Ray (26-13) would later get an extended armbar put on Long, who showed incredible heart by battling out of it. The third time was the charm, though, as Ray would counter a takedown attempt by securing up a twister submission.

The tap officially came at 4:24 of Round 1.

Whiteford Outstrikes Huerta The co-main event saw Ro…

UFC Fight Night 243 ‘Moicano vs. St. Denis’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Paris Saturday at noon ET with UFC Fight Night 243. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores …

UFC Paris Prelims: Ion Cutelaba Outslugs Ivan Erslan

Ion Cutelaba edged KSW veteran Ivan Erslan over three rounds to close out the UFC Fight Night 243 prelims at Accor Arena in Paris.

“The Hulk” (18-10-1, 7-9-1 UFC) came into the bout having lost four of his last five fights and needed an impressive performance over the UFC debutant. Cutelaba’s heavy hands carried the day early as The Hulk walked down Erslan with heavy haymakers. Cutelaba wobbled and dropped Erslan while trading in the pocket in the second round and even scored an easy takedown.

Cutelaba should’ve stayed on his feet and pressed the action but an ill-time takedown allowed Erslan to climb back into the fight. Erslan rode Cutelaba for most of the final round before Cutelaba reversed position in the closing seconds. The fight looked like a clear 29-28 verdict for Cutelaba, but fans held their breath in fear as the scorecards were read. Luckily for Cutelaba, a split decision verdict (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) wasn’t enough to wipe away his fi…

PFL Europe 2024 Playoffs Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live 2024 PFL Europe 3: Playoffs coverage will begin Saturday at noon ET. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round: The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores …

Alex Pereira Feels Excitement Rising as UFC 307 Title Fight Inches Closer

Alex Pereira feels a change as he nears his UFC 307 clash against Khalil Rountree.

Rountree (13-5) will challenge Pereira (11-2) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight crown in UFC 307 headliner on Oct. 5 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Pereira believes fans were initially not excited for the matchup when it was announced back in August. However, the champ can feel the excitement building as he nears fight night. “Poatan” vows to put on a show and expects the same from his opponent.

“I feel good, I feel ready. We came here three weeks before this fight to prepare this time,” Pereira told Nina Marie Daniele. “Very pumped. I think it’s going to be a good fight. In the beginning, people didn’t give too much attention for this matchup but now we feel the difference. People are building up to that. And I am prepared to put on a show… I think Khalil, too. So it’ll be a great fight.”

UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday…

Raquel Pennington Dishes on Sharing UFC 307 Fight Camp with Spouse

Raquel Pennington is dealing with a new challenge headed into her UFC 307 title fight against Julianna Pena.

Pennington (16-8) will defend her women’s bantamweight title against Pena (11-5) in the UFC 307 co-main event on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. When “Rocky” won the vacant title against Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297 in January, her wife Tecia Pennington (13-7) was taking care of their daughter Alayah Rose during fight camp. When Tecia subsequently dropped a split decision against Tabatha Ricci in May, “Rocky” was there to return the favor.

However, the partners will be sharing the UFC 307 card, with Tecia taking on former champ Carla Esparza (19-7) in the early prelims. With both of them being in camp, the Penningtons have had to deal with the challenge of taking care of their daughter, who is barely over a year old. However, “Rocky” is grateful for the support system around her which has made the camp smooth.

“The new cha…

Julianna Pena Holding Out Hope for Amanda Nunes Rubber Match

Julianna Pena wants to defend her title against Amanda Nunes if she dethrones Raquel Pennington at UFC 307.

Pena (11-5) will challenge Pennington (16-8) for the women’s bantamweight title in the UFC 307 co-main event on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The same card also features a potential title eliminator between Ketlen Vieira (14-3) and Kayla Harrison (17-1). Pena claims to know that the winner of Vieira vs. Harrison has been promised the next title shot against the winner of her clash against Pennington.

“I don’t think, I know. I know for a fact that they told whoever is going to be the winner of that fight will face me for the belt,” Pena told MMA Junkie. “And that will be my title defense. So yes, that’s exactly what’s happening.”

Vieira is 1-3 in her last four, having only dropped a razor-thin split decision against Pennington in January 2023. Meanwhile, former Professional Fighters League champ and two-time Olympic gold …

UFC Fight Night 243 Weigh-in Results: 1 Fighter Heavy

[embedded content] After a week off, the Ultimate Fighting Championship travels to France for UFC Fight Night 243.

The main event is an intriguing battle between Renato Carneiro and Benoit St. Denis. Both lightweight contenders made weight, as did everyone else on the card except for Ailin Perez. The would-be bantamweight appeared in poor condition on the scales, shaking and shivering as she missed weight by half a pound for her fight against Darya Zheleznyakova. As a result, she'll be fined 20%% of her purse, but the bout will otherwise proceed as scheduled.

Carneiro (19-5-1) has been on a hot streak. "Money Moicano" has won his last three fights inside the Octagon, including key wins over Jalin Turner and Drew Dober. The 35-year-old is on potentially his last run to the top and needs a win to keep his title hopes alive. The Brazilian officially weighed 156 pounds on the dot.

St. Denis (13-2, 1 NC) is coming off a stunning knockout defeat to Dust…

PFL Europe 3 Weigh-in Results: 2024 Playoffs Set

[embedded content] The Professional Fighters League heads to Scotland for its third PFL Europe event of the year.

Topping the PFL Europe 3 card is a welterweight main event between Steven Ray and Lewis Long. Both men made weight, as did all of the other fighters on the card. The event features eight playoff fights in the bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight and women's flyweight divisions.

Scotland's Ray (25-13) enters the main event looking to break a three-fight losing streak. After two wins over Anthony Pettis, "Braveheart" has come up short against Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Natan Schulte and Clay Collard. Meanwhile, Long (20-7) is 3-1 in his last four outings. "The Foot" most recently submitted Ashley Griffiths with a rear-naked choke.

PFL Europe 3 will air live on Dazn at noon ET/9 a.m. PT on Saturday.

PFL Europe 3 Weigh-in Results: Steven Ray (170.4) vs. Lewis Long (170.6)Robert Whiteford (150) vs. Roger Huerta (149.4)Dean Garnett (136) vs. Lewis McGri…

PFL Matchmaker Dan Hardy Welcomes Opportunities for Fighters After Retirement

𝙈𝘼𝙄𝙉 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙉𝙏! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Stevie Ray and Lewis Long go face to face outside the OVO Hydro ahead of Saturday night’s welterweight main event!

Presented by @unibet

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #PFLGlasgow📅 Saturday 28th September🏟️ OVO Hydro📍 Glasgow, Scotland🎟️ On Sale NOW!… pic.twitter.com/yBtsivcW4N

— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) September 25, 2024 As the matchmaker of Professional Fighters League’s Europe series, former fighter Dan Hardy feels a tremendous sense of pride when scouting a diamond in the rough. Dan Hardy has been instrumental to the growth of the PFL, especially in the European market. As PFL Europe shipped 2023 champions Jakob Nedoh and Dakota Ditcheva to the PFL global season in 2024, matchmaker–and commentator—Hardy has established a revolving door of rising talents on the Europe roster. Ahead of PFL Glasgow, Hardy spoke with Sherdog about what to expect in the semifinals and how he views his role with the organization…

Roger Huerta Fully Focused on Impactful Return With New Life at PFL

Grizzled veteran Roger Huerta has seen it all in his many years of fighting.

The 41-year-old Huerta, who has competed for a number of major organizations over the years, is returning to the sport after over three years away. “El Matador” will be making his Professional Fighters League debut at PFL Glasgow on Saturday, competing lighter than he ever has in his lengthy career.

The first MMA fighter to ever grace the cover of “Sports Illustrated,” Huerta is well aware that his athletic prime is well behind him. Having lost four in a row—a career-tying losing streak—he introduces himself to PFL with plenty of pressure on him. After dropping four straight under the Bellator MMA banner, Huerta hopes that this shift in organization will give him a new lease on life. The longtime vet sees this newly merged company of Bellator and PFL as a new opportunity not just for himself but for other athletes in the sport. Huerta spoke to media about his newfound intere…

Daniele, Valentina Scatizzi Prepared to Spring Upsets on PFL Europe Card

For the first time in their professional careers, siblings Daniele Scatizzi and Valentina Scatizzi will compete on the same card together.

Coming into PFL Glasgow, both Daniele (13-7) and sister Valentina (3-2) share the underdog label as they are taking on tough foes with no losses between them. Daniele is currently a +425 dog against unbeaten 2023 PFL Europe lightweight champ Jakub Kaszuba (12-0), while Valentina (+550) will face undefeated Shanelle Dyer (5-0).

Daniele, a Bellator MMA regular, came over to the PFL ranks after an unsuccessful outing at against Dmytrii Hrytsenko at Bellator 291 in 2023. Following the merger of Bellator and PFL, the Italian was slotted into the PFL Europe’s lightweight bracket. Daniele introduced himself to PFL brass by landing a heel hook on the heavily favored Aleksandrs Chizovs to reach the semifinals.

Valentina made her way to PFL a year earlier than her brother, reaching the semifinals of the inaugural PFL Euro…

UFC Rebooks Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling for UFC 310 on Dec. 7

New date, same mission 😤@MovsarUFC vs @FunkmasterMMA has been rescheduled to take place at #UFC310 👊 pic.twitter.com/aWYCPfPdt8

— UFC (@ufc) September 27, 2024 A potential title eliminator-turned-grudge match for the Ultimate Fighting Championship will go on a few months later than expected.

For the UFC 307 card in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5, the UFC had matched Movsar Evloev (18-0) against Aljamain Sterling (24-4) together for a possible no. 1 contender contest at 145 pounds. Sterling suffered an injury in September that forced him out of the contest, and the promotion opted not to slot in a late replacement. Instead, about two months later, the two will collide. The UFC released the news on Friday that Evloev and Sterling will handle their business at UFC 310, which will go down at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 7.

In this rescheduled top-tier grappling-centric tilt, Evloev will put his unbeaten record on the line, as he is cu…

All Aboard PFL Train, Stevie Ray Eyes Post-Retirement Job With Company

Fresh out of a short-lived retirement, Steven Ray is firmly a member of team Professional Fighters League.

Ray (25-13) will be back in action on Saturday in the main event of PFL Glasgow, competing on home soil for the first time since 2017. Ray will come to blows with Lewis Long (20-7) on Sept. 28 at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. Speaking to the media on Thursday, he discussed the happiness he feels as part of the PFL roster as well as what he has learned about himself after returning from injury and two retirements.

“I’ve realized that I have a lot of discipline, I’ve noticed a big difference between me and some other fighters,” Ray remarked. “I might be being biased or big-headed, but I truly believe that if some people had to deal with some of the s--t that I’ve had to deal with over the last 15 years, mentally, physically, [they would not fare well].”

The 11-fight Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran saw his expulsion from the roster d…

Undefeated Shanelle Dyer Looking to Pave Own Way Through PFL

Professional Fighters League prospect Shanelle Dyer is following the wisdom of Fleetwood Mac: “Go your own way.”

Entering the 2024 PFL Europe semifinals, Shanelle Dyer (5-0) is aiming to establish herself as a new star, independent of fellow undefeated British talent Dakota Ditcheva. In 2023, Ditcheva ran through her flyweight bracket at PFL Europe, and Dyer plans to do the same. She faces Valentina Scatizzi (3-2) at the PFL Europe 3 Playoffs on Sept. 28 in her home country of the United Kingdom, and bettors have installed her as a massive favorite.

Dyer, a muay thai practitioner who made the transition into MMA and turned pro in 2023, has already competed twice under the PFL banner. Her first appearance came in a non-tourney tilt against Luisa Fernanda Cifuentes, and her performance earned an invitation to the 2024 PFL Europe bracket. Speaking to the media before facing Scatizzi, Dyer was well aware of the comparison to Ditcheva. Paying respect to th…

Michael Chiesa to Battle Max Griffin at UFC 310 in December

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is putting together about as classic of a “striker vs. grappler” matchup as it gets.

Per MMA Fighting on Thursday, the promotion has set a welterweight collision of Michael Chiesa (17-7) vs. Max Griffin (20-10) for UFC 310. The two 170ers with drastically different styles will come to blows on Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Griffin has since confirmed the pairing on Instagram.

Chiesa bounced back from a career-long losing streak by tapping out Tony Ferguson in August. The victory snapped a skid that began in 2021, marking his first win since January of that year. In his rough patch, Chiesa succumbed to a brabo choke from Vicente Luque and fell short on the scorecards to Sean Brady. These back-to-back setbacks led to some time off for the Washington native. After about 20 months off, Chiesa returned, and Kevin Holland ended up tapping him with a brabo choke to set a record for the most losses via this submission in compan…

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