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PFL Standings: Light Heavyweight, Lightweight Semifinals Set

ITS OVER. IMPA GETS THE VICTORY AND IS BACK IN THE #PFLPLAYOFFS!#PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW🇺🇸 ESPN & ESPN+🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/9WMp6uMrgc

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 22, 2024

Impa Kasanganay’s bid for a repeat is in full effect.

The Kill Cliff FC standout secured the top seed in the Professional Fighters League light heavyweight playoffs with a second-round doctor stoppage victory against 2023 PFL Europe kingpin Jakob Nedoh at PFL 5 on Friday night at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“I told myself this: How would I fight if I was leading Heaven’s armies? God put me here and God’s gonna take me out of here,” Kasanganay said. “No other man will. He’s a champion; you’ve got to take it from him.”

After besting Joshua Silveira to win the PFL title a year ago, Kasangany will get a rematch with the fourth-seeded “Coninha” in the light heavyweight semifinals on Aug. 16 at Hard Rock Live i…

2024 PFL Playoffs Set for Lightweight, Light Heavyweight Brackets

Clay Collard came into the 2024 PFL 5 main event having already clinched a spot in the Professional Fighters League's lightweight playoffs but that didn't stop Mads Burnell from crashing the party.

Ever the composed striker, Collard (25-12, 1 NC) came out working his jab and landing body punches to establish his attack against Burnell (18-6), who would look to grapple later in the round. This late success gave Burnell a game plan to follow, as the Danish fighter would take the back of "Cassius" in Round 2. Likely even going into the third, Collard would use his volume punching to land more strikes than his opponent before being taken down and controlled for the final moments, with Burnell taking the back of the fan-favorite lightweight.

After 15 minutes of action, Burnell took a unanimous decision win with a trio of 29-28 scorecards but won't make the playoffs. Instead, Collard will face top seed Brent Primus in the lightweight semifinals.

2024 PFL 5 Regular Season Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

The Professional Fighters League’s regular season marches on with 2024 PFL 5 Regular Season at 5 p.m. ET. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:

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

Conor McGregor Reveals Toe Injury Forced Him Out of UFC 303 Main Event

While Conor McGregor is renowned for showing up on fight night no matter the circumstances, he wanted to make sure that he will be 100% healthy for his long-awaited Octagon return.

In a post on social media, the Irish star revealed that a broken toe forced his late withdrawal from the UFC 303 headliner against Michael Chandler.

“Man we were so f—ing super ready for this fight, it is absolutely gut wrenching to take,” McGregor wrote on Instagram. “I want that new Bugatti! How I gone justify to myself getting that now without banking these fights. We had a lapse in concentration and engaged in a training session without wearing the full protective gear and I hit the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean. It needs a few weeks that’s it. I couldn’t justify to my team, or fans, that I make the walk hindered again. That walk has been seen.

“This next walk has got to be, and it will be, 100 percent Conor McGregor. The fans deserve it and we are ge…

Roman Dolidze Replaces Carlos Ulberg, Meets Anthony Smith at UFC 303

Roman Dolidze is moving up a weight class to face Anthony Smith on short notice at UFC 303.

Dolidze will replace Carlos Ulberg, who withdrew from the event due to an undisclosed injury. The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the new light heavyweight bout on Friday. UFC 303 takes place on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.

Dolidze earned triumphs over Khadis Ibragimov and John Allan at 205 pounds in UFC competition before transitioning to the middleweight division. The 35-year-old Xtreme Couture representative has gone 4-3 since then and is coming off back-to-back decision defeats against Nassourdine Imavov and Marvin Vettori.

A former light heavyweight title challenger, Smith has been victorious in two of his last three Octagon appearances. Most recently, “Lionheart” submitted the previously unbeaten Vitor Petrino in the opening sta…

UFC on ABC 6 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its Saudi Arabia debut with an intriguing 11-fight card that is now set after the official weigh-ins took place.

The main event will see former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker take on short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov, who is filling in for an ill Khamzat Chimaev. Both men stepped on the scales looking ready to go all five rounds, with Whittaker coming at 186 pounds and Askerov arriving at a svelte 184 pounds. All 22 fighters on the card successfully made weight.

This marks the second fight this year for "Bobby Knuckles." The Australian previously beat Paulo Costa to rebound from his defeat to now-champion Dricus Du Plessis. Whittaker, who is still just 33 and holds a record of 25-7, will look to show he's still a dangerous contender. The former titleholder comes into the fight having won two of his last three.

This is easily the biggest fight in the career of Aliskerov (15-1…

2024 PFL 5 Regular Season Weigh-in Results: One Fighter Misses Weight

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The main event for PFL 5 is official, as both Clay Collard and Mads Burnell hit their contracted marks on Thursday.

Collard tipped the scales at 155.8 pounds, while Burnell checked in at 155.6 ahead of their lightweight headliner, which is scheduled for Friday at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. PFL 5, which features regular season bouts at lightweight and light heavyweight, begins with a preliminary card on ESPN+ at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT before moving to the main draw on ESPN and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

A 2023 PFL lightweight finalist, Collard kicked off his current campaign with a second-round technical knockout victory against Patricky Freire on April 12. He currently sits xth in the PFL lightweight standings with five points.

Burnell has some work to do if he is to advance to the posteason. The UFC and Bellator MMA veteran had a two-bout winning streak snapped at PFL 2, where he suffered a second-round …

Ian Garry Vows to Make ‘Example’ of Michael Page at UFC 303

Ian Garry is not buying into any of the hype behind Michael Page.

Garry (14-0) and Page (22-2) are slated to trade leather at UFC 303 on June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It is a high-stakes matchup that could catapult the winner into the conversation for welterweight title contendership.

While rallying for the booking, Page aimed multiple shots and promised to punish Garry in “10 different ways,” also calling out the “fake” online image of the Irishman, who has been a dividing personality since the beginning of his Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure.

Responding to “MVP,” Garry has now declared himself levels above the former Bellator MMA star in every aspect.

“He’s a legend? You said that to line me up… I believe I’m levels above him in every single way, shape and form,” Garry said in an Instagram post. “And this is just an opportunity to show, to prove to people. I go, ‘You guys think this guy’s good? OK: I’ll use him a…

Antonio Trocoli to Replace Joilton Lutterbach Against ‘Shara Bullet’ on Short Notice

Saturday’s dynamic UFC on ABC 6 card has seen yet another change.

Joilton Lutterbach (38-9) is out of his fight against Sharabutdin “Shara Bullet” Magomedov, 12-0, which was scheduled to go down in Riyadh on June 22. Fellow Brazilian Antonio Trocoli (12-3) has stepped up to replace Lutterbach against Magomedov on three days’ notice. The change was first announced by Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White on social media. Lutterbach subsequently revealed that he wasn’t allowed to fight due a substance found in his urine.

This is Magomedov’s third opponent for his sophomore UFC outing after Ihor Potieria, who accepted a short-notice matchup against Michel Pereira at UFC 301. Meanwhile, Trocoli was scheduled to fight Ikram Aliskerov last weekend before the Dagestani agreed to replace Khamzat Chimaev against Robert Whittaker in Saturday’s main event. While this will mark Trocoli’s UFC debut, “Malvado” has been with the promotion for two years and has no…

Ikram Aliskerov: Coach Nurmagomedov Following Father’s Footsteps

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Ikram Aliskerov (15-1) claims Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coaching style is similar to that of his father.

Aliskerov is scheduled to fight Robert Whittaker (25-7) in the UFC on ABC 6 headliner on June 22 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hailing from Dagestan, Aliskerov often trains with former lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and his protégé Islam Makhachev. Like most other elite fighters from the region, Aliskerov has also had had the privilege of training under Nurmagomedov’s late father, Abdulmanap, who is widely regarded as the pioneer of mixed martial arts in the region.

Aliskerov recently detailed what made Nurmagomedov arguably one of the best coaches in the world. According to Aliskerov, it was Abdulmanap’s emphasis on discipline over talent that set him apart.

“You know the biggest thing about him and I always say this, he put a huge emphasis on discipline,” Aliskerov told Shakiel Mahjouri. “He even had this saying that ‘disci…

‘Shara Bullet’ Details Run-in with Saudi Arabian Police During Prior Visit

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Sharabutdin “Shara Bullet” Magomedov (12-0) had an interesting encounter with local law enforcement on a previous visit to Saudi Arabia.

Magomedov is slated to face Brazilian debutant Antonio Trocoli (12-3) at UFC on ABC 6 on June 22 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, this isn’t Magomedov’s first visit to the region, where he has achieved surprising popularity. The Russian has previously been to the country for Hajj, which is the annual Islamic pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. While Magomedov hasn’t been out of the fighter hotel much this time, he was overwhelmed by fan support the one time he journeyed beyond.

“Yes, I’m surprised that people recognize me here like they do in Russia,” Magomedov told Red Corner MMA. “People ask to take pictures in the most unusual places. It’s nice. We’ll be taking over the whole Arabian peninsula. People know me in Saudi and the UAE. We’re conquering more shores. There’s nowher…

150-Fight MMA Veteran Shannon Ritch Claims Self Defense in Phoenix Shooting

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Longtime mixed martial arts veteran Shannon Ritch shot and killed a man in a parking lot dispute outside of Phoenix restaurant, according to a report from Fox 10 Phoenix.

According to a police investigation, Ritch, 53, and Alejandro Samplina, 32, were involved in a confrontation regarding an issue over parking outside of a Twin Peaks on June 15. Ritch allegedly shot and killed Samplina after he claimed that Samplina chased him around his car with a knife.

"Ritch was able to retrieve his handgun from the open door of his vehicle. Samplina proceeded to walk towards Ritch with the knife in a threatening manner. In response, Ritch fired one round, striking Samplina," Phoenix Police Sgt. Mayra Reeson told Fox 10.

Samplina died at a local hospital, per the report. Police released Ritch after he “provided a self-defense claim consistent with witnesses and surveillance video.” The exact nature of the argument remains unclear.

…

Joshua Silveira Envisions Beating Multiple Former Champs En Route to PFL Title

Joshua Silveira isn’t leaving anything to chance.

The American Top Team export arrived in Salt Lake City more than a week ahead of his PFL 5 encounter with Rob Wilkinson in order to get acclimated to the Utah capital’s 4,265 feet of elevation.

“I know Rob trains out of Colorado, so I had to give myself that same type of elevation workout,” Silvera said during PFL media day. “We’re high up in the mountains. I’m from Florida. You’re like 100 feet above sea level [there]. I’m not used to 5,000 feet, but I came out early, [to] be responsible. We’re at the top level here, so I want to be responsible. I made my investment.”

One of the advantages of training at American Top Team is that Silveira can call upon a whole stable of training partners who have experienced fighting at elevation. Silveira took advantage of that knowledge and put it to use.

“At the end of the day, it’s science. I wasn’t gonna find out on fight night,” Silveira said. “But it…

Chris Gutierrez, Javid Basharat to Clash at UFC Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3

A bantamweight showdown pitting Chris Gutierrez against Javid Basharat has been added to the UFC on ABC 7 lineup.

Gutierrez confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report from Marcel Dorff. UFC on ABC 7 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3 and is headlined by a bantamweight tilt between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov.

Gutierrez is coming of a unanimous decision loss to Yadong Song in the UFC Fight Night 233 headliner this past December. Prior to that, “El Guapo” had been victorious in five of his previous six Octagon appearances dating back to 2021.

Basharat, meanwhile, suffered his first defeat in 16 pro outings at UFC Fight Night 238, where he dropped a unanimous verdict to Aiemann Zahabi on March 2. Basharat owns victories over Mateus Mendonca, Tony Gravely and Trevin Jones in UFC competition.

Anatoly Malykhin to Defend Heavyweight Crown vs. Oumar Kane in ONE 169 Headliner

ONE Championship three-division title holder Anatoly Malykhin will defend his heavyweight crown against Oumar Kane when the promotion heads to Atlanta on Nov. 8.

ONE announced the main event booking in a release on Wednesday. ONE Championship 169 takes place at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta and marks the organization’s second trip to the United States in 2024. In the evening’s co-headliner, Tawanchai PK Saenchai will defend his featherweight (155-pound) muay thai belt against Joe Nattawut. The card will air live on Prime Video in the United States.

Malykhin is coming off a third-round technical knockout victory against Reinier de Ridder to claim the middleweight (205-pound) title at ONE 166 on March 1. The 36-year-old Russian owns a 14-0 professional mark — which includes six victories under the ONE banner. He captured heavyweight gold with a third-round stoppage of UFC veteran Arjan Singh Bhullar in June 2023.

A native of Senegal who is commonly known a…

Colby Covington Defends UFC Fighter Pay Against Sean Strickland’s Criticism

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Colby Covington has slammed Sean Strickland for criticizing the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s fighter pay.

Strickland recently engaged in a back-and-forth with Mike Perry over fighter pay in the BKFC. When Perry responded by calling out the UFC’s fighter pay, Strickland admitted that both promotions needed to better their fighter salaries.

However, Covington disagrees with Strickland. Covington noted that while the UFC typically pays $10,000 + $10,000 to show and win to entry-level fighters, Strickland is probably drawing close to $1 million per fight. “Chaos” believes it is hypocritical of the former middleweight champ to criticize UFC fighter pay when he has built a comfortable life for himself with that.

“My thoughts are, Sean changed his life, so he’s kind of hypocritical to be saying this,” Covington said on the SOSCAST with Adam Sosnick. “Now he lives in like a really nice mansion-style type house, you know, has gr…

UFC Fighter Carlos Prates Reveals He Began Smoking Habit at Age 12

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Carlos Prates began his habit of smoking cigarettes at a young age.

Prates recently shut down Charlie Radtke with a violent knee to the body in the first round of their UFC on ESPN 57 clash earlier this month. The Brazilian was seen smoking a cigarette when he learned that his victory earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus. Prates also revealed that smoking before and after a fight is a fairly common ritual for him..

Prates recently opened up further on his smoking habits during an appearance on the ”Show Me the Money” podcast. Prates revealed that he had started smoking at the age of 12 or 13 — though the habit has increased over the years. The pandemic affected Prates, and “The Nightmare” started smoking a lot of marijuana. When he noticed adverse effects of cannabis on his mental health, Prates decided to stick to cigarettes.

“I think I started to smoke when I was 12 or 13. Not like today, of…

Kelvin Gastelum: Upcoming Bout vs. Daniel Rodriguez Is a Must-Win for Both Fighters

Kelvin Gastelum believes his upcoming clash against Daniel Rodriguez has both of their Ultimate Fighting Championship contracts at stake.

Gastelum is scheduled to face Rodriguez at UFC on ABC 6 on Saturday at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Gastelum’s UFC career has been on somewhat of a downward spiral, as he has gone 2-5 since his interim middleweight title loss to Israel Adesanya in 2019. Gastelum dropped back to welterweight after nine years for his most recent outing, where he suffered a submission loss against Sean Brady in December 2023.

With his “back against the wall,” Gastelum feels a win against Rodriguez is imperative for him to stay with the UFC. Gastelum also believes it’s a must-win situation for his opponent to extend his UFC contract, as well. “D-Rod” is coming off consecutive stoppage losses against Neil Magny and Ian Garry after winning his previous four Octagon appearances. While the thought of not getting his contr…

Olympic Wrestling Gold Medalist Reportedly Considering MMA Transition

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Olympic gold medalist and World Freestyle wrestling champion Zaurbek Sidakov is reportedly considering a switch to MMA, according to UFC fighter Muhammadjon Naimov.

A three-time world champion, Sidakov won the gold in Men’s Freestyle Wrestling at 74 kilograms (163 pounds) at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. However, Sidakov isn’t eligible to compete in the upcoming Paris Olympics as his name didn’t appear on the recently published list of Russian and Belarusian athletes approved to compete by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Russian and Belarusian athletes were initially banned from competing at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, the IOC later permitted the athletes to participate as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) approved by the Individual Neutral Athletes Eligibility Panel (AINERP). Athletes had to prove their dissociation from the war and their countries’ military forces …

Israel Adesanya Shares Prediction for Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov

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Israel Adesanya recently made his prediction for the upcoming UFC on ABC 6 headliner on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

Robert Whittaker (25-7) will face unranked prospect Ikram Aliskerov (15-1) in the main event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Aliskerov stepped up on nine days’ notice, replacing Whittaker’s originally scheduled opponent Khamzat Chimaev, who withdrew from the card due to severe illness.

Adesanya is picking Whittaker to emerge victorious. “The Last Stylebender” believes Whittaker should be able to hold his own against Aliskerov on the ground, as he was already preparing for an elite wrestler in Chimaev. According to Adesanya, “Bobby Knuckles” will likely dispatch Aliskerov in Round 3 or 4.

“Rob was ready to wrestle this fight anyway, so the wrestling’s gonna be f—-ng top tier in this fight, I think. Striking will be nice. Banger. I like this banger of a fight,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “Also this guy …

Jarred Brooks, Gustavo Balart to Meet for Interim Title at ONE on Prime Video 24

The interim strawweight (125-pound) belt will be on the line when Jarred Brooks and Gustavo Balart square off at ONE on Prime Video 24 on Aug. 2.

The Singapore-based promotion on Tuesday announced the bout, which was necessitated by an injury to reigning 125-pound champion Joshua Pacio. ONE on Prime Video 24 takes place at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and airs on Prime Video. According to a release, Pacio will be sidelined indefinitely due to a torn ACL.

Brooks lost the 125-pound title when he was disqualified for using an illegal slam on Pacio in their bout at ONE 166: Qatar this past March. Prior to that, “The Monkey God” had been victorious in his first four promotional appearances. Brooks claimed the divisional throne with a five-round verdict over Pacio in their first meeting at ONE 164 in December 2022.

Balart, a decorated wrestler from Cuba, has won four straight contests under the ONE banner. “El Gladiator” is coming off a split-d…

Antonio Carlos Jr. Hopes for $1 Million PFL Clash vs. ATT Teammate Josh Silveira

After a two-year absence due to multiple knee surgeries, former Professional Fighters League light heavyweight champion Antonio Carlos Jr. made a successful return to the cage in April, submitting Simon Biyong in the opening stanza at PFL 2 on April 12.

While that earned “Cara de Sapato” six points in the PFL standings, four other light heavyweights earned quicker finishes than the Brazilian at the event. That means Carlos Jr. enters his PFL 5 matchup with Alex Polizzi in fifth place, so he will need another impressive showing to assure himself a place in the postseason.

“It never happened in PFL history. Five fighters getting a quick six in the first phase. Nobody is guaranteed [a spot] in the playoffs. It´s like we are all starting now,” Carlos Jr. told Sherdog.com.

Carlos Jr. expects Polizzi to try to use his wrestling to control their fight at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.

"He has an excellent folk wrestling technique and prob…

Baissangour Chamsoudinov Inks Exclusive Contract with PFL

Baissangour Chamsoudinov has parlayed a victory over Cedric Doumbe into long-term security with the Professional Fighters League.

It was announced on Tuesday that Chamsoudinov has signed an exclusive contract with the promotion that will allow him to compete for the PFL, PFL Europe and Bellator Champions Series. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and a date for Chamsoudinov’s next bout was not revealed.

“I'm very happy to have signed with PFL as they are growing more and more just like myself as a developing fighter, so it's perfect,” Chamsoudinov said in a release. “The goal for my career has remained the same since the beginning, to become the best fighter on the planet. I'm here to clean out the division.”

Known as “Baki,” the 22-year-old Frenchman gained notoriety after earning a controversial third-round TKO win against Doumbe at PFL Europe 1 on March 7. While the bout ended when referee Marc Goddard waved off the fight due to a Doumbe toe injury,…

BKFC Champ, UFC Vet Mike Perry Steps in to Box Jake Paul on July 20

1 Mike, 2 Mikes, 3 Mikes, 4

The fact is every opponent has touched the floor

5 months until Tyson and I go to war

So in the meantime me & Perry are going to make Tampa roar

I fear no man, anytime, anywhere, anyplace

On July 20th it’s going to be another W, so let us say… pic.twitter.com/SIu6K0VbD5

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 18, 2024

The date that once was reserved for Mike Tyson now belongs to Mike Perry.

Perry has agreed to face Jake Paul in a boxing match on July 20 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The fight will be contested over eight rounds in the cruiserweight (200 pounds) division and will be available via pay-per-view through Dazn. Paul was originally slated to meet Tyson on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, but that bout was postponed until Nov. 15 due to ulcer-related medical issues for Tyson.

“When Paul vs. Tyson was rescheduled, I knew immediately that I wanted…

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