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There are no longer any “Pitbull” brothers competing under the Professional Fighters League banner.

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On Tuesday, Patricky Freire announced his release from the PFL, and a day later, his signing with the fledging Global Fight League become official. Freire confirmed the news following an initial report from MMAFighting.com.

The GFL is expected to launch a team-based MMA format beginning in April. The draft to select the fighters to represent each team — a pool which now includes Freire — is scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. ET. In recent weeks a number of notable former champions and veterans have been linked to the organization.

Freire competed twice for the PFL during its 2024 season, falling to Clay Collard and Bruno Miranda. The elder “Pitbull” brother was best known for a lengthy stint with Bellator MMA, where he enjoyed a brief reign as lightweight champion. During his Bellator tenure, Freire bested the likes of Benson Henderson, Josh Thoms…

Bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott is taking his first career defeat as a learning experience.

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The 26-year-old Dana White's Contender Series alum entered his UFC 311 matchup as a significant betting favorite against Brazilian veteran Raoni Barcelos, but Talbott struggled to remain upright in a unanimous decision loss this past Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. When all was said and done, Talbott surrendered eight takedowns and nearly 10 minutes of control time to his 37-year-old opponent.

Talbott reacted to the performance in a brief statement via Instagram on Tuesday.

“The vet gave me my first scar. May the skin heal itself to be strong and never split again,” Talbott wrote. “Lucky to have such people in my life. Fortunate to be able to learn valuable lessons. Still had fun.”

The Reno Academy of Combat product had been victorious in his first nine professional outings, including finishes of Nick Aguirre, Cameron Saaiman an…

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Yadong Song believes Henry Cejudo didn’t time his career trajectory well.

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Cejudo was at the peak of his career when he abruptly announced his retirement after defending his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in 2020. At the time, there was speculation that “Triple C” made the announcement to have an edge in contract negotiations. However, things didn’t pan out as planned if Cejudo had indeed tried to do so.

The former flyweight champ ended his retirement and returned to action in 2023. Cejudo came up on the short side of split decision in a bantamweight title fight against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 in 2023. The Olympic gold medalist followed it up with a unanimous decision loss against future champ Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 last year. Cejudo initially hinted at retirement in case of a loss against “The Machine” but has since changed course. While Cejudo’s losses came against arguably the two best fighters of…

When Dana White said that Arman Tsarukyan wouldn’t get the next lightweight title shot after pulling out of the UFC 311 main event, attention immediately shifted to Charles Oliveira as the next potential contender for Islam Makhachev’s belt.

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However, shortly after this past Saturday’s event, Oliveira gave an interview to UFC Brasil suggesting a different rematch.

“If Islam just wants to return in October, I want to fight before that,” Oliveira said. “Why not Max [Holloway] for the BMF belt? I suffered an injury in the beginning of our first fight. I think we both deserve to make it happen.”

Holloway immediately responded in the affirmative via X: “International Fight week?”

International Fight Week?

— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) January 21, 2025

Diego Lima, Oliveira’s manager and head coach, clarified everything in an interview with Ag.Fight on Tuesday.

“The most important thing for Charles is without a…

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Javier Mendez couldn’t believe the pace Merab Dvalishvili set at UFC 311.

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Mendez’s pupil, Umar Nurmagomedov, challenged Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title in the co-main event at UFC 311. Dvalishvili’s coach, John Wood, predicted that the champ would have a hard couple of rounds and take over as the fight progressed. It played out exactly like that, with Nurmagomedov just being unable to keep pace with the champ despite being highly skilled. Dvalishvili took away Nurmagomedov’s perfect record and defended his title with a unanimous decision win.

While Nurmagomedov also broke his hand in the opening round, Mendez isn’t taking anything away from Dvalishvili. The American Kickboxing Academy head coach was awed by Dvalishvili’s gas tank as the fight progressed. However, Mendez also notes that “The Machine’s” showmanship in the last round could have slightly influenced the judges’ scorecards.

“He [Nurmagomedov] didn’t get t…

Anthony Smith’s bid to compete in Power Slap was immediately rejected by the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

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Run by Dana White, Power Slap has emerged as a controversial sport with participants taking direct shots to the head without any form of defense. While most UFC fighters haven’t been very supportive of the idea, Smith has attempted to defend it as a legitimate sport.

The former UFC title challenger even took the liberty to approach the promotion with the offer to compete in Power Slap. However, UFC exec Hunter Campbell immediately shut down the idea without even discussing it with Dana White White.

“I tried, they told me no. Straight up,” Smith recently told Ariel Helwani. “I asked Hunter and he told me no. He wouldn’t even bring it to Dana. I don’t know, he said no.”

Anthony Smith says he asked Hunter Campbell if he could compete on a Power Slap event, but Hunter said no.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/NhCI1Kw…

The California State Athletic Commission has revealed the fight night weights for UFC 311 fighters.

There is usually a significant difference between fighters’ weights on the day of the weigh-ins and on fight night, when they have rehydrated. This also led to the coining of the term “weight bully,” for those to cut a lot of weight only to come in much heavier on fight night.

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While both Islam Makhachev and Renato Moicano weighed in at 155 pounds for the main event, Makhachev came in at 178 pounds and the challenger weighed 181.5 pounds on fight night. Meanwhile, the co-main event saw both bantamweights Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov weighing exactly the same at 156.8 pounds.

A light heavyweight clash between Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill saw one of the biggest weight differentials on fight night. Prochazka came in at a mere 208.2 pounds after weighing in at 205 lbs. Meanwhile, Hill came in 221.8 pounds. Considering how little Prochazka cut…

After being submitted by Islam Makhachev in the first round of the UFC 311 main event, Renato "Money Moicano" Carneiro returned to routine, recording a video on his YouTube channel.

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Moicano’s usual sincerity and humor is evident in the title of the video, “Fui Jambrolhado,” which translates to: “I got my ass kicked.” The Brazilian lightweight began the 18-minute video by making it clear that he was only there because he didn't win the fight.

“Since I lost, let's return to YouTube,” he said. “If I had won, I obviously wouldn't be here talking to you today. So if you like this channel, thank f—ing Makhachev.”

After providing all the details of how he found out he would take Arman Tsarukyan's place, “Moicano” made an interesting comparison between the styles of Beneil Dariush — his original opponent — and Makhachev.

“I was very well-trained for a southpaw with excellent jiu-jitsu who was not so good at takedowns and who had two defeats by KO. Ou…

The hand injury Umar Nurmagomedov apparently suffered early on in the UFC 311 co-main event could sideline him for a significant period of time.

According to medical suspensions recently released by the California State Athletic Commission, Nurmagomedov is facing a 180-day suspension unless he receives physician clearance for a potential fracture to his left hand or index finger. Nurmagomedov lost a unanimous decision to Merab Dvalishvili in a bantamweight title bout on Saturday night at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Dvalishvili, like everyone on the card, received a seven-day mandatory term for rest.

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Three other fighters from UFC 311 were handed 180-day suspensions pending doctor clearance: Jailton Almeida (possible fracture to left foot), Serghei Spivac (possible right foot fracture, broken jaw) and Bogdan Guskov (possible fracture to right hand).

UFC 311 Medical Suspensions:

Umar Nurmagomedov: 180-day suspension unless cleared by a physicia…

Manager Ali Abdelaziz recently hinted at Islam Makhachev’s future plans.

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According to Abdelaziz, the UFC’s immediate plans for Makhachev don’t include Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira or Ilia Topuria — all of whom seemed to be potential opponents for the reigning lightweight champion. However, Abdelaziz also admitted that the unpredictable nature of the sport leaves everything uncertain.

“The UFC has a completely different plan for Islam which doesn’t include Oliveira, Arman or Ilia,” Abdelziz wrote on social media. “But it’s an unpredictable sport and you don’t know what could happen.”

The UFC has a completely different plan for Islam which doesn’t include Oliveira, Arman or Ilias. But it’s an unpredictable sport and you don’t know what could happen.

— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) January 20, 2025

Makhachev was originally scheduled to defend his lightweight strap against Tsarukyan in the main event at UFC 3…

Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill shared a drink at the bar after their fight at #UFC311 🤝

(via @JamahalH) pic.twitter.com/FINC1QPcq5

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 20, 2025

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Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka have no bad blood between them after sharing the Octagon at UFC 311.

Hill took on Prochazka in a high stakes light heavyweight matchup at UFC 311 this past weekend in Los Angeles. Prochazka hurt “Sweet Dreams” multiple times before knocking him out in the third frame. Hill subsequently posted a clip of himself drinking with Prochazka and congratulated “BJP” on his victory.

“First of congratulations to [Jiri Prochazka]. You made great adjustments and gave me a hell of a fight!!!” Hill wrote on Instagram. “I want to thank everybody that reached out with love and support I truly appreciate you all!!! My fire has never burned hotter or brighter for my future and growth!! Fighting against the elite of the elite is an hon…

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Your updated #RoadToDubai Fight Card 🔐

•Yakub Sulimanov vs. Jarrah Al-Selawe is off the card•𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘: 11am ET #RoadToDubai | Sat Jan 25 | Coca-Cola Arena | Dubai, UAE | 11AM ET | Streaming on @SportsonMax pic.twitter.com/RKt0kVcrdn

— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 21, 2025

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Professional Fighters League’s first event of 2025 is down one fight.

The promotion announced on Monday that a proposed middleweight clash between Yakub Sulimanov and Jarrah Al-Silawi is off the Road to Dubai card. A reason for the cancellation was not revealed. As a result, Road to Dubai will proceed with 11 bouts and now begins at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT on Max.

Chechnya’s Sulimanov is unbeaten in eight professional outings, with the majority of his fights coming under the Absolute Championship Akhmat banner. He went 2-0 in 2024 and is coming off a first-round stoppage of Vahid Kord Manjiri at Middle East Fighting Championship 4 last …

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According to Alex Pereira, he got exactly what he asked for at UFC 313.

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It was announced on Saturday that Pereira will defend his light heavyweight crown against Magomed Ankalaev in the UFC 313 headliner on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While Pereira has been accused of avoiding the fight by his opponent, he claims that he requested to face the Dagestani light heavyweight.

“I did say that I wanted to take a break, but I started training again. I started feeling good. I started seeing my evolution,” Pereira told ESPN through a translator. “So I called my managers right away and I said, ‘I want to fight. I want to fight in March. I want to fight Ankalaev.’ I know he keeps saying that I’m a just an employee of the UFC, I fight whenever they want, but I asked for him. I told them when I want to fight.”

Ankalaev will enter the bout on a 13-bout unbeaten streak in UFC competition. The 32-year-old is coming off a unanim…

It wasn’t necessarily evident during his performance in the Octagon, but Merab Dvalishvili endured his fair share of difficulties leading up to his first bantamweight title defense.

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After relying on his relentless pace to pull away from Umar Nurmagomedov for a unanimous decision triumph in the UFC 311 headliner at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Saturday night, Dvalishvili revealed some of the ailments that limited his training. While Nurmagomedov revealed that he might have broken his hand in the opening stanza, “The Machine” claims to have dealt with with plenty of adversity of his own.

“I broke my back in training camp and it was some days I cannot get up from the bed,” Dvalishvili said at the post-fight press conference. “I was laid down and I don’t have a training camp and I don’t have a Khabib Nurmagomedov to help me to train. Some days the [UFC Performance Institute] was closed. It was Christmas and it was New Year’s and weekends and it ha…

Umar Nurmagomedov is seemingly undeterred by his loss against Merab Dvalishvili.

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Nurmagomedov challenged Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title in the co-main event at UFC 311 this past Saturday. While the challenger did well in the first two rounds, Dvalishvili took over as the fight got into deeper waters. “The Machine” eventually defended his strap via unanimous decision in a bout that received “Fight of the Night” honors. Speaking of his loss against Dvalishvili, Nurmagomedov stated that doesn’t have any excuses. However, the Dagestani also feels like he didn’t completely lose the fight.

“There are no excuses,” Nurmagomedov wrote on Instagram. “InshaAllah i will become the champion .The rest is not important. Praise Allah in any situation. And I don't think I've lost this battle If even the whole world will convince me otherwise.”

Nurmagomedov losing his undefeated record was the only setback for the Dagestani contingent at UFC 311. Nurma…

Arman Tsarukyan is ready to put in the work to get back into the UFC lightweight title picture.

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Tsarukyan earned his gold bid against Islam Makhachev with a split-decision win over former champ Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 last year. “Ahalkalakets” was scheduled to challenge Makhachev in the main event at UFC 311 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles this past Saturday. However, Tsarukyan pulled out on the day of the weigh-ins due to a back injury.

Renato "Money" Moicano, who was originally supposed to fight Beneil Dariush on the same card, got a last-minute title shot against Makhachev. While “Moicano” tagged Makhachev a couple of times, the champ eventually made quick work of the Brazilian with a brabo choke in the first round.

UFC CEO Dana White didn’t seem too happy with Tsarukyan and clarified that the Russian won’t be receiving the next title shot at lightweight. And Tsarukyan isn’t complaining. The lightweight contender is ready to fight his…

Dana White is finally ready to give Islam Makhachev his flowers.

After Makhachev retained his lightweight title with a first-round submission of Renato Carneiro in the UFC 311 main event on Saturday night, White conceded that the Dagestani is the top pound-for-pound talent in the sport. That’s a significant change in course for White, who for months has expressed his displeasure that Makhachev was ranked ahead of heavyweight champion Jon Jones in the promotion’s pound-for-pound poll.

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“He’s already the pound-for-pound No. 1 ranking. Yeah, I’ll give it to him,” White said at the UFC 311 post-fight press conference. “Is everybody happy now that he’s pound-for-pound?

The UFC CEO came away impressed with Makhachev’s willingness to adapt when original foe Arman Tsarukyan pulled out of the main event just one day before their fight. The reigning lightweight champ didn’t blink when “Moicano” was proposed as a replacement foe on short notice.

“Islam w…

Dana White is finally ready to give Islam Makhachev his flowers.

After Makhachev retained his lightweight title with a first-round submission of Renato Carneiro in the UFC 311 main event on Saturday night, White conceded that the Dagestani is the top pound-for-pound talent in the sport. That’s a significant change in course for White, who for months has expressed his displeasure that Makhachev was ranked ahead of heavyweight champion Jon Jones in the promotion’s pound-for-pound poll.

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“He’s already the pound-for-pound No. 1 ranking. Yeah, I’ll give it to him,” White said at the UFC 311 post-fight press conference. “Is everybody happy now that he’s pound-for-pound?

The UFC CEO came away impressed with Makhachev’s willingness to adapt when original foe Arman Tsarukyan pulled out of the main event just one day before their fight. The reigning lightweight champ didn’t blink when “Moicano” was proposed as a replacement foe on short notice.

“Islam w…

The Good Guy vs The Bad Guy 👊@DC_MMA and @ChaelSonnen will coach Season 33 of #TUF! pic.twitter.com/x2Lo53ycx9

— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2025

Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen will serve as rival coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter 33.”

The UFC veterans announced the news during the UFC 311 broadcast on Saturday night. “TUF 33” is expected to feature welterweights and flyweights and will premiere on May 27. Cormier and Sonnen, who are co-hosts on the “Good Guy/Bad Guy” podcast on ESPN, both have previous coaching experience on the long-running reality show.

A former two-division champion, Cormier was enshrined in the UFC’s Hall of Fame in 2022. The American Kickboxing Academy stalwart captured belts at both heavyweight and light heavyweight while also winning the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix earlier in his career.

Sonnen is a former UFC title challenger at both middleweight and light heavyweight and has long been known for hi…

Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili received the highest disclosed purse from UFC 311.

The California State Athletic Commission recently released salaries from the event, which took place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles in Saturday night. Dvalishvili, who defeated Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event, earned $500,000 for his efforts. Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, garnered $100,000 in defeat.

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Meanwhile, reigning lightweight king Islam Makhachev earned a disclosed $200,000 for his first-round submission of Renato "Money" Moicano ($250,000) in the evening’s headliner. All told, 12 fighters received six-figure paydays at the conclusion of UFC 311.

Note: The disclosed purses reported by state athletic commissions do not include any performance-based or discretionary bonuses that may be awarded to a fighter by the promotion. Additionally, the reported figures do not reflect any deductions made by the commission for taxes, insurance, etc., and do not in…

Tagir Ulanbekov claims his fighting spirit sets him apart from everyone Alexandre Pantoja has ever faced.

Ulanbekov handed Clayton Carpenter his first pro loss via unanimous decision victory in the card opener at UFC 311 on Saturday. Likely to enter the Top 10 of the UFC rankings with his win over Carpenter, Ulanbekov called for a title shot against Pantoja in his post-fight interview. Pantoja has walked through almost the entire flyweight division during his championship reign. Ulanbekov belongs to a long line of special athletes trained in the mountains of Dagestan by Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Ulanbekov believes it is the tutelage of Abdulmanap that has gifted them with a spirit that sets them apart from others. And according to the 33-year-old, it is this spirit that will give him the edge over Pantoja.

“I have nothing. All I have is a heart of a champion. And I’m gonna win it with my fighting spirit,” Ulanbekov said at his post-…

👏Beneil Dariush announces that the UFC will pay him both his SHOW and WIN money following the UFC 311 main event change:

“It’s excellent, I can’t complain. They’re giving me both show and win money…I appreciate Dana, I appreciate the UFC, I appreciate Hunter”

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🎥@TheSchmo312… pic.twitter.com/cx7vUgTIYm — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) January 18, 2025

Beneil Dariush is being taken care of, as Dana White had promised.

Dariush was originally scheduled to fight Renato Carneiro at UFC 311 on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Las Vegas. However, the card saw some turbulence on the day of the weigh-ins when the main event fell through. Islam Makhachev was supposed to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan in the headliner. However, Tsarukyan was forced out at the last moment due to a back injury.

Dariush received a call from manager Ali Abdelaziz informing him that there could be a last-minute change. Hav…

Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov engaged in an exhausting five-round battle in the UFC 311 co-main event, and the bantamweight combatants were rewarded for their efforts.

Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 for their bantamweight championship scrap on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Nurmagomedov’s superior speed and athleticism was on display in the early going, but Dvalishvili gradually took control thanks to his blend of pace and conditioning to earn a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph.

Elsewhere, Jiri Prochazka took home a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for his stoppage of fellow former champion Jamahal Hill in a thrilling light heavyweight affair. Prochazka dropped his opponent in the opening period and then endured some punishment before putting Hill away with another knockdown and a salvo of offense at the 3:01 mark of Round 3.

Finally, Jailton Almeida earned the card’s other…

Islam Makhachev exploits the slightest of openings.

The American Kickboxing Academy star kept his stranglehold on the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title, as he dismissed Renato “Money” Moicano with a brabo choke in the first round of their UFC 311 headliner on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. A short-notice fill-in for Arman Tsarukyan, Moicano (20-6-1, 12-6 UFC) checked out 4:05 into Round 1.

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Makhachev (27-1, 16-1 UFC) completed a takedown midway through the first round, settled in half guard and went to work. Moicano initiated a scramble, only to wander into the champion’s clutches. Makhachev rolled into position for the choke, tightened his squeeze and elicited the tapout. With that, he put his 15th straight victory in the books, leaving him one shy of Anderson Silva’s all-time UFC record.

Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili wore down the previously unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov with his breakneck pace and ret…