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Professional Fighters League has signed longtime UFC competitor Marc Diakiese to an exclusive contract.

The organization announced the news on Saturday. Diakiese is expected to make his PFL debut in a showcase bout this year before competing in the season format at lightweight in 2025.

“I back myself at lightweight, and I’m coming for everyone,” Diakiese said in a release. “This weight class is mine for the taking, and I feel the PFL Championship has my name all over it in 2025.”

The 31-year-old Englishman known as “Bonecrusher” has fought under the UFC banner since 2016, compiling an 8-7 record with the Las Vegas-based promotion. The former British Association of Mixed Martial Arts champion last appeared at UFC Fight Night 231 this past November, when he took a three-round verdict over Kaue Fernandes. Diakiese owns a 17-7 career mark.

Calvin Kattar will lock horns with Kyle Nelson in a featherweight bout at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Sept. 7.

Nelson confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. The UFC Fight Night event does not have a location or headliner at this time.

Kattar has lost four of his last four promotional appearances dating back to January 2021. After an absence that spanned a year and a half, “The Boston Finisher” returned from a knee injury at UFC 300, where he dropped a unanimous decision to ex-bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling at UFC 300.

Nelson, meanwhile, is unbeaten in his last four outings. The 33-year-old Canadian was successful in his first venture of 2024, when he stopped Bill Algeo in the opening stanza at UFC on ESPN 54.

Joanderson Brito has pulled out of a proposed featherweight clash against Dan Ige scheduled for UFC on ESPN 60 on July 20.

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Multiple outlets confirmed Brito’s withdrawal after Ige announced his opponent’s exit on social media. It is currently unknown if Ige will remain on the card against a replacement opponent. UFC on ESPN 60 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and also includes a strawweight showdown pitting Amanda Lemos against Virna Jandiroba.

Joanderson Brittle is out. Who’s in?

— Dan Ige (@Dynamitedan808) June 7, 2024

Brito last appeared at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, where he scored a second-round TKO victory against Jack Shore on May 4. The 29-year-old Brazilian has won five straight Octagon appearances since dropping his promotional debut against Bill Algeo.

Ige has won three of his last four contests. Most recently, “50K” defeated Andre Fili via first-round KO at UFC Fight Night 236 on Feb. 10.

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The bantamweight headliner for Rizin 47 is now official, as both Kyoji Horiguchi and Sergio Pettis hit their contracted marks at weigh-ins.

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Horiguchi tipped the scales at 133.9 pounds, while Sergio Pettis checked in at 134 pounds. It wasn’t smooth sailing for everyone on the card, however. UFC veteran Johnny Case weighed 158.7 pounds for his clash with Noah Bey (156.4). Since he missed weight by 2.2 pounds, he is not eligible for victory, per Rizin rules. As a result, if Bey loses or the bout is a draw, the fight will be recorded as a no contest. Additionally, Case will began the bout with a one-point deduction.

Rizin 47 takes place at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo on Sunday and will also see Kleber Koike Erbst (145.5) square off against Juan Archuleta (145.5) in the featherweight co-main event.

Horiguchi and Pettis initially met as part of the bantamweight grand prix at Bellator 272, with Pettis earning a fourth-round …

ONE 167's main event saw One Championship featherweight muay thai champion Tawanchai P.K. Saenchai successfully defend his belt against a tough challenger in Nattawut Somkhun.

Saenchai wasted no time establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with by delivering punishing leg kicks and sharp elbows to Somkhun. Standing his ground, the challenger would find his footing and have success with combinations when Saenchai would lower his output, with Somkhun taking over the third and fourth rounds. However, the champion showed his resolve in the final three minutes, as it was a back-and-forth battle that saw both men have their moments.

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Breathes were held when the judges' scorecards were read, but ultimately, they preferred the work of the champion, who kept his belt via majority decision.Rodtang Dominates Puric The catchweight co-main event saw Rodtang Jitmuangnon outstrike Denis Puric in a hard-hitting kickboxing match. Jitmuangnon found his mark earl…

ONE Championship brings another evening of explosive martial arts to U.S. primetime with ONE 167. Sherdog's live coverage will begin with the curtain jerker at 8 p.m. ET. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

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

New date, same place, same fate#PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/ihfIOEllKW

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 7, 2024 A new date has been set for the first live boxing event on Netflix.

Legendary heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson (50-6, 2 NC; 44 KOs) was previously expected to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) on July 20 in a modified rules pro boxing match. The two were billed atop an event at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Due to a medical issue stemming from an ulcer, Tyson was forced to stop training and recover, which resulted in a postponement of the show. Per Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions’ social media on Friday, the new date of the fight card will be Nov. 15.

The fights will be held in the same building as before, and it will still air live on Netflix. Additionally, the co-headlining bout remains intact and shifts to this date as well, as Katie Taylor defends her lightweight throne against Amanda Serrano. It …

[embedded content] The Professional Fighters League will turn to the second leg of its 2024 tour of The Old Continent with PFL Europe 2 on Saturday at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, England. Current undisputed super-middleweight boxing champion Savannah Marshall headlines the bill in her non-tournament mixed martial arts debut opposite Mirela Vargas at a 160-pound catchweight.

PFL Europe 2—which streams live on DAZN in many territories across the globe at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT—shines the spotlight on quarterfinal bouts in the welterweight, bantamweight and women’s flyweight divisions. It also features a lightweight co-main event pitting Manchester Top Team’s Kane Mousah against James Doolan protégé Dylan Tuke at 155 pounds.

A closer look at the PFL Europe 2 particulars:

THE LINEUP 160: Savannah Marshall vs. Mirela Vargas155: Kane Mousah vs. Dylan Tuke170: Jack Grant vs. Charlie Leary135: Lewis McGrillen-Evans vs. Matiss Zaharovs135: Dean Garnett vs. Ayton De Paepe…

#PFLNewcastle Official Weigh In Result:

Savannah Marshall - 160.8lbsMirela Vargas - 158.7lbs

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Presented by @thatprizeguy 🤝 #PFLNewcastle | TOMORROW | Live on DAZN pic.twitter.com/b35uVkgkj9 — PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) June 7, 2024 Boxing champion Savannah Marshall will make her mixed martial arts debut in the main event of PFL Europe 2.

The latest Professional Fighters League card is now official after the PFL Europe 2 weigh-ins took place. Nearly all fighters on the card made weight, with the exception of Dee Begley, who missed the flyweight limit by 4.3 pounds, and Ayton De Paepe, who came in 1.5 pounds over the bantamweight limit. As a result of Begley's miss, she will forfeit 30% of her purse to opponent Paulina Wisniewska and will start the fight with a point deduction. Meanwhile, De Paepe failed his medical exams so the fight has been scratched, allowing opponent Dean Garnett to advance to the PFL Europe playoff…

As soon as Evgeniy Antonov sensed an opening, he unleashed hell.

The undefeated Russian prospect enjoyed a stellar ONE Championship debut, as he took care of Islam Kukaev with a burst of elbow strikes in the first round of their ONE Friday Fights 66 catchweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Kukaev (4-2, 0-1 ONE) checked out 4:50 into Round 1.

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Antonov (4-0, 1-0 ONE) stayed composed under initial duress. Kukaev executed multiple takedowns and applied his ground-and-pound but failed to corral his counterpart on the canvas. Antonov eventually escaped to his feet and piled up points and damage with crisp combinations before swooping in for a takedown of his own. He then postured in half guard and cut loose with unanswered elbows until the job was done.

The 25-year-old Antonov has finished all four of his opponents, three of them inside one round.

Meanwhile, Torepchi Dongak put away the Hiroto Masuda with a vol…

Tha Killa Gorilla is ready to go 💪

Jared Cannonier makes weight at 185 pounds for tomorrow night's main event! #UFCLouisville pic.twitter.com/3nZLW8mRs8

— UFC (@ufc) June 7, 2024 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to ESPN airwaves with an intriguing middleweight main event.

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UFC on ESPN 57 is headlined by Jared Cannonier taking on fellow middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov. Both main event fighters weighed exactly 185 pounds. The only weight miss on the card was strawweight Eduarda Moura (116.5), who came in half a pound over the strawweight limit and has been fined 20% of her purse as a result.

Cannonier (17-6) is riding a two-fight win streak since coming up short against Israel Adesanya. Victories over Sean Strickland and Marvin Vettori have kept "The Killa Gorilla" a top contender despite being 40. He'll look to keep his title shot dreams alive with a win in his sixth UFC main event.

Meanwhile…

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While Kade Ruotolo will make his mixed martial arts debut Friday, he is no stranger to fist fighting, having grown up with twin brother Tye Ruotolo.

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Ruotolo is scheduled to make his MMA debut against Blake Cooper (2-1) at ONE 167 on June 7 in Bangkok. Having been in regular bare-knuckle fights with his brother since a young age, the elite jiu-jitsu practitioner claims to have picked up on the striking aspect of MMA with ease. While preparing for his upcoming fight, Ruotolo has already surprised a lot of people who were expecting him to come in as a pure jiu-jitsu practitioner and plans to surprise many more.

“It’s kind of a hard question to say that exactly. When we were growing up – it wasn’t at a very high level, it was at our jiu-jitsu gym for around two years when we were around the age of 13, give or take. We did about two years of Muay Thai, so we had an idea of how to throw a kick, how to throw a punch, things like that,”…

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Brendan Loughnane (27-5) believes the Professional Fighters League tournament format isn’t meant for everyone and claims to know a lot of Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters that agree with him.

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Loughnane will take on Justin Gonzales (14-4) in the main event at PFL 6 2024 Regular Season, featuring featherweights and welterweights on June 28 at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The 2022 PFL featherweight champion has been with the promotion since 2019 and is no stranger to the unique format.

The PFL season consists of two regular season matches across six weight classes to decide who proceeds to the playoffs based on a points system scored by the method of victory. The playoffs feature semi finals and a final with $1 million on the line.

This, combined with the league’s pay-per-view cards, keeps a PFL fighter busier compared to most other organizations. Loughnane notes that the PFL tournament format can be …

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Mikey Musumeci deems Joao Gabriel Sousa’s body type as the biggest challenge, apart from the Brazilian’s strength.

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Musumeci will look to correct a 2021 loss when he takes on Sousa in a 145-pound rematch at ONE 167 in Bangkok on June 7. Musumeci hasn’t lost a bout since suffering a submission loss against Sousa in their first encounter. Reflecting on that loss, Musumeci admits that Sousa was evidently stronger than him.

Planning to leave no stone unturned to exact revenge, Musumeci has been working on his strength with Sam “Coach Cal” Calvitta at the Treigning Lab. Apart from the strength, Musumeci sees Sousa’s body type as the biggest challenge. According to “Darth Rigatoni,” comparatively short-limbed fighters like Sousa have an advantage in no-gi jiu-jitsu as they are hard to grab ahold of.

“Gabriel has very small limbs. He has no arms, no legs. Which in no-gi, it helps people built like that; like dinosaurs kind of. In …

Adrian Lee will look to make a statement in his professional mixed martial arts debut at ONE 167 on Friday.

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Lee will have his family name to live up to when he makes his pro debut against Antonio Mammarella on June 7 in Bangkok. While Lee’s elder sister Angela Lee retired as the reigning ONE Championship atomweight queen last year, elder brother Christian Lee currently holds the lightweight and welterweight titles. Another sibling, Victoria Lee, who was just as promising as her kin, unfortunately took her own life in 2022.

Lee’s main focus going into his pro debut is to make a statement by finishing his opponent as early as possible. While he isn’t too focused on producing highlight-reel footage, he doesn’t believe in spending more time in the cage than necessary.

“During this camp, we've been practically focused on everything. The main thing we've been focused on is just how to get the job finished as soon as possible, “ Lee said. “You …

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is expanding its reach to the Far East.

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During an appearance on "The MMA Hour” on Wednesday, BKFC president David Feldman and Rizin Fighting Federation boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara announced that the organizations have agreed to a talent-sharing partnership with plans for co-promoted events in the near future.

“Today we get to announce the official partnership with BKFC and Rizin to produce Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship shows in Japan and all over the southeast Asia region, as well as assist Rizin with whatever else they need from around the world,” Feldman said. “We’re really super excited about this partnership and to partner with such a legend like Sakakibara.”

The arrangement will begin with Rizin fighters competing under the BKFC banner at an upcoming event on July 12 at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. There, Rizin’s Tatsuki Shinotsuka will face Cary Caprio in a bare-knuckle bo…

The lineup for UFC Fight Night in Denver continues to grow, as a lightweight clash between Drew Dober and Mike Davis has been added to July 13 bill.

The Denver Post was first to report the booking. UFC Fight Night takes place at Ball Arena and is headlined by a flyweight showdown between Rose Namajunas and Maycee Barber.

Dober is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Renato Carneiro at UFC Fight Night 235 in his first appearance of 2024. The Elevation Fight Team member is 4-2 in the Octagon since 2022, with all of his victories during that time coming via knockout or technical knockout.

Davis, meanwhile, will take a four-bout winning streak into the matchup. In his last outing, “Beast Boy” submitted Natan Levy in the second round of their encounter at UFC Fight Night 239 on March 16.

Dustin Poirier is one of 10 fighters facing a potential indefinite suspension on the heels of UFC 302.

The New Jersey State Athletic Control board recently released a full list of medical suspensions from the event, which took place this past Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. In the evening’s headliner, Islam Makhachev retained his lightweight crown with a fifth-round submission of Poirier.

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As a result of the damage he suffered in the Octagon, Porier needs ENT clearance for his nose and orthopedist clearance for his left knee before he can compete again. Makhachev, meanwhile, was suspended for 30 days with no contact due to facial lacerations.

Co-main event competitors Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa were among the other fighters from UFC 302 who received indefinite terms. Strickland, who won a split decision over his Brazilian foe, needs an x-ray and orthopedist clearance on his left tibia before he can return to action. At a…

A welterweight clash pitting Jarrah Al-Silawi against Bashar Thaer will serve as the main event for PFL MENA 2 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on July 12.

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The PFL announced the card in a release on Wednesday. The event takes place at The Green Halls and features athletes competing in the organization’s season format in the welterweight and lightweight divisions.

"The Professional Fighters League is excited to return to Riyadh for PFL MENA 2. The PFL along with our great partners, SURJ Sports, could not be happier to see a shared vision become a reality,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a release. “PFL MENA has put a global spotlight on great fighters across the region and provided passionate MMA fans with a premium live experience.”

A former Brave Combat Federation champ, Al-Silawi is 1-3 in PFL competition and also has a victory in PFL Challengers Series to his credit. Most recently, the Jordanian fighter earned a unanimous decision over Nenad Avramovi…

Former opponents Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev have nothing but respect for each other.

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Makhachev ended Oliveira’s lightweight title reign with a dominant submission win at UFC 280 in 2022. Oliveira earned an immediate rematch with a knockout win over Beneil Dariush but was forced out of the scheduled UFC 294 clash due a cut suffered in sparring 12 days before fight night. The Brazilian most recently lost a razor-thin split decision in a title eliminator against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 in April.

Oliveira is now eyeing a move up to welterweight to fight Colby Covington. Makhachev, who put his title on the line against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 last weekend, was asked about a potential clash between Oliveira and Covington. Makhachev believes Oliveira can finish Covington and even invited “do Bronx” to train with him in Dagestan.

While Oliveira expressed gratitude for Makhachev’s invitation, the Brazilian isn’t interested in training a…

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While Javier Mendez admits that Arman Tsarukyan is deserving of a title shot against Islam Makhachev, he recently explained why the Dagestani prefers a matchup against Leon Edwards.

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Makhachev defended his lightweight title with a fifth-round submission win over Dustin Poirier in the main event at UFC 302 last weekend. Makhachev subsequently called for a welterweight title shot against Leon Edwards after the victory.

However, waiting in the wings is No. 1 lightweight contender Tsarukyan, who turned down a UFC 302 gold bid against Makhachev due to quick turnaround from his victory of Charles Oliveira in April. After UFC 302, company CEO Dana White also agreed that Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan is the next fight to make.

While Makhachev’s long term coach Mendez also deems Tsarukyan deserving of a title shot, he would still prefer a welterweight title shot next for his pupil. As per Mendez, a potential double championship win will add…

Mads Burnell believes if you’re a true fighter, the Professional Fighters League an ideal place to compete.

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Burnell headlines PFL 5 at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, opposite Clay Collard on June 21. The card featuring lightweight and light heavyweight bouts marks the promotion’s debut in Utah. This will also mark a turnaround of a little over two months from Burnell’s PFL debut in April.

While newcomers at the PFL often have difficulty adjusting to the frequency of the fights, Burnell absolutely loves the quick turnaround. The PFL season format features fighters across six weight classes competing in two regular season bouts to decide who will proceed to the playoffs, which consists of semifinals and a final, with $1 million at stake. The season format combined with the pay-per-view cards and now Bellator events, keeps PFL fighters more active than most other promotions. Burnell believes the PFL is for true fighters who are just ke…

Jason Jackson recently took a dig at upcoming opponent Ramazan Kuramagomedov’s MMA gym.

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Jackson is scheduled to make his first Bellator MMA welterweight title defense against Kuramagomedov in the main event at Bellator Champions Series Dublin on June 22. While Jackson trains at Kill Cliff FC, Kuramagomedov trains at rival South Florida gym American Top Team.

Jackson recently hailed the unity in his own gym while alluding that ATT is divided based on cultural and racial differences.

“We have everything at my gym. There is nothing we are short of,” Jackson said during a recent Bellator media call. “Everyone there is motivated. The thing about our gym is that we are one. It doesn’t matter if we come from a different culture or a different race. We are one. We are not divided like American Top Team.”

Jackson hasn’t lost in eight outings since coming up on the short side of a split decision against Ed Ruth in his Bellator debut in 2019. J…

While Ramazan Kuramagomedov acknowledges Jason Jackson as his toughest test so far, he believes he can beat the Jamaican.

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Kuramagomedov will challenge Jackson for the Bellator welterweight title in the main event at Bellator Champions Series Dublin on June 22. While he is a slight favorite going into the fight, Kuramagomedov expects Jackson to be a difficult test.

“I believe Jason Jackson is the hardest fight in my MMA career thus far,” he said during a recent media call.

While Kuramagomedov respects Jackson’s skillset, he believes every fighter has weaknesses.

“This is a very exciting fight coming up. Jason is one of the top fighters in the world,” he said. “Every fighter has their shortcomings, so I am going to have to find the key with Jason this time. There are several ways to approach this, but I will showcase the best approach the night of the show.”

However, Kuramagomedov isn’t underestimating Jackson by any means. The undefeate…