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  • ‘Who Saw Fiziev’s Wrestling Becoming A Factor?’ – Fans & Fighters React To Rafael Fiziev Putting On All-Around Performance To Earn First Win In Three Years At UFC Baku

    ‘Who Saw Fiziev’s Wrestling Becoming A Factor?’ – Fans & Fighters React To Rafael Fiziev Putting On All-Around Performance To Earn First Win In Three Years At UFC Baku

    For the first time since 2022, Rafael Fiziev is finally back in the win column, coming out on top in the UFC Baku co-main event against Ignacio Bahamondes.

    The first round between the two was a slow one, with both men landing leg kicks and feeling each other out. Fiziev, however, did seem to do more, thanks to his focus on working the body. Bahamondes looked to get inside during the second round, failing on a takedown attempt before pressing Fiziev into the fence. But Fiziev defended those attempts well, in addition to excellent striking defense, and continued to land sharply, including a pair of takedowns and a knockdown of Bahamondes in the later stages of the second.

    The two did plenty of trading early in the third round, with Fiziev even denying a Bahamondes opportunity to bring the fight to the ground. Fiziev was getting the better of the exchanges once more, and he scored one more takedown in the final minute of the round. Bahamondes went frantic with elbows on the ground, but Fiziev’s ground strikes were too much. The fight returned to the feet and Bahamondes went for a drastic submission, but Fiziev countered it and ended the fight in full mount.

    Fiziev swept the judges’ scorecards in a unanimous decision victory.

    Rafael Fiziev Sweeps Scorecards Against Ignacio Bahamondes In UFC Baku Co-Main

    Fiziev had entered this fight on a three-fight losing skid, with two of those fights coming against Justin Gaethje at UFC 286 and UFC 313. Between those fights, Fiziev lost to Mateusz Gamrot in September 2023 after suffering an injury.

    Bahamondes had come into this fight on a three-fight winning streak, all three of which he earned performance bonuses in. His most recent win had come against Jalin Turner at UFC 313 in March.

  • ‘Judges Continue To Be A Joke’ – Fans Trash Curtis Blaydes Decision Win Over Rizvan Kuniev At UFC Baku

    ‘Judges Continue To Be A Joke’ – Fans Trash Curtis Blaydes Decision Win Over Rizvan Kuniev At UFC Baku

    Curtis Blaydes may have come out on top in his UFC Baku bout against Rizvan Kuniev, but it was a close fight that nearly saw him, a No. 5 fighter, lose to a UFC debutant.

    Blaydes asserted his wrestling early with a takedown right away. Blaydes dominated with his grappling, controlling Kuniev against the fence and winning the clinch battles.

    Kuniev adjusted and took some momentum in the second round, stuffing takedowns and landing clean combos, busting up Bladyes’ left eye.

    Kuniev stunned Blaydes with a knee during the third round, though Blaydes landed plenty of his own shots, and he controlled the clinch with knees. Kuniev added a late flurry, with wild exchanges to conclude the fight.

    All three judges scored the fight 29-28, with two scoring the fight for Blaydes, giving him the win.

    Curtis Blaydes Scores Controversial Win Over Rizvan Kuniev At UFC Baku

    This was Blaydes’s first fight since his knockout loss at UFC 304, when he challenged Tom Aspinall for the interim UFC heavyweight championship.

    Kuniev has competed previously for PFL and Eagle FC, the latter of which he won the heavyweight championship in.

  • VIDEO: Watch Myktybek Orolbai Spoil Homecoming Of Tofiq Musayev With First-Round Kimura At UFC Baku

    VIDEO: Watch Myktybek Orolbai Spoil Homecoming Of Tofiq Musayev With First-Round Kimura At UFC Baku

    Though Tofiq Musayev was one of several fighters connected with Azerbaijan competing on the main card of UFC Baku, the homecoming ended up being one to forget, as he was submitted in the first round by opponent Myktybek Orolbai.

    Orolbai had tried for an early takedown, but Musayev resisted and landed a sneaky uppercut. Orolbai eventually was able to overpower Musayev and take over in the grappling exchanges. Musayev tried for a guillotine, but Orolbai took top control.

    Orolbai would take Musayev down to the ground again later in the first, where he’d lock up a nasty kimura lock to score the submission.

    Myktybek Orolbai Submits Tofiq Musayev At UFC Baku

    Orolbai is now 3-1 in the UFC, rebounding from a split-decision loss to Mateusz Rebecki at UFC 308 this past October.

    Musyaev is a veteran of Bellator and RIZIN who was making his UFC debut tonight. This was his first fight since scoring a knockout victory over Koji Takeda at Rizin Landmark 7 in November 2023.

  • ‘The Best 8 Minutes Of Fighting You’re Likely To See This Year’ – Fans & Fighters React To Nazim Sadykhov Scoring KO In Fight Of The Year Nominee With Nikolas Motta

    ‘The Best 8 Minutes Of Fighting You’re Likely To See This Year’ – Fans & Fighters React To Nazim Sadykhov Scoring KO In Fight Of The Year Nominee With Nikolas Motta

    Nazim Sadykhov and Nikolas Motta put on a wild war that ultimately ended with Sadykhov, who was born in Baku, score a win in front of a native crowd during the main card of UFC Baku.

    Sadykhov and Motta both put on offensive displays during the opening frame. Sadykhov appeared to get hurt by Motta, who poured on a flurry was Sadykhov was against the fence. But Sadykhov managed to survive getting rocked, and Sadykhov took advantage of a drained Motta by pouring on his own striking display.

    The two continued to land in great numbers during the second round, but it was in the final minute of the round when Sadykhov landed a combination that dropped Motta, securing the win.

    Nazim Sadykhov KOs Nikolas Motta In Bloody, High-Impact Battle At UFC Baku

    Sadykhov hasn’t lost since dropping his professional MMA debut. He’s now 4-0-1 with four finishes in his UFC tenure since his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022.

    Motta is now 2-2 (1 NC) in his last five.

  • ‘Physical Monster’ – Fans React To Ko Seok-hyun’s Massive Upset Over Oban Elliott To Close Out UFC Baku Prelims

    ‘Physical Monster’ – Fans React To Ko Seok-hyun’s Massive Upset Over Oban Elliott To Close Out UFC Baku Prelims

    Ko Seok-hyun secured perhaps the biggest victory of his career, and perhaps the biggest win out of all who came out on top in the UFC Baku prelims, scoring a major upset of Oban Elliott.

    Elliott had come into the bout as a -485 favorite, according to Draftkings, while Seok-hyun was a +370 underdog.

    Seok-hyun wasted no time showcasing his power, landing a hard left hand early and showing off his impressive judo abilities. Elliott had his moments with body kicks in the first, but Seok-hyun showed more aggression and landed the heavier shots.

    Seok-hyun continued to dominate with grappling in the second, repeatedly dragging Elliott to the ground and attacking with heavy punches and elbows — and even threatening a choke at one point.

    Seok-hyun continued to battle strong, opening up a cut on Elliott with an elbow. Elliott battled back and attempted a last-minute submission, but it wasn’t enough, as Seok-hyun swept the judges’ scorecards.

    Ko Seok-hyun Pulls Off Major Upset Of Oban Elliott In UFC Debut At UFC Baku

    Seok-hyun has now won five fights in a row. This marked his UFC debut after a decision win over Igor Cavalcanti on Dana White’s Contender Series last year.

    Elliott sees an eight-fight unbeaten streak snapped with his defeat.

  • UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Khalil Rountree Jr. Decisions Jamahal Hill

    UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Khalil Rountree Jr. Decisions Jamahal Hill

    UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! 

    In the main event, light heavyweights Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree clashed. While in the co-main event, Rafael Fiziev faced off with Ignacio Bahamondes in a lightweight matchup. 

    UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card

    • Khalil Rountree Jr. def. Jamahal Hill via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45×2)
    • Rafael Fiziev def. Ignacio Bahamondes via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
    • Curtis Blaydes def. Rizvan Kuniev via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
    • Myktybek Orolbai def. Tofiq Musayev via submission: R1, 4.35
    • Nazim Sadykhov def. Nikolas Motta via TKO: R2, 4.17
    • Muhammad Naimov def. Bogdan Grad via unanimous decision (29-28×3)

    Preliminary Card

    • SeokHyeon Ko def. Oban Elliott via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
    • Mohammed Usman def. Hamdy Abdelwahab via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
    • JunYong Park def. Ismail Naurdiev via unanimous decision (29-26×2, 29-25)
    • Daria Zhelezniakova def. Melissa Mullins via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27×2)
    • Klaudia Sygula def. Irina Alekseeva via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
    • Tagir Ulanbekov def. Azat Maksum via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27×2)

    Main Card Highlights

    Muhammad Naimov def. Bogdan Grad

    Muhammad Naimov got it done on the scorecards in this featherweight bout.

    Nazim Sadykhov def. Nikolas Motta

    Nazim Sadykhov stopped Nikolas Motta at the end of round two.

    Myktybek Orolbai def. Tofiq Musayev

    Myktybek Orolbai got it done in the first round with a kimura.

    Curtis Blaydes def. Rizvan Kuniev 

    Curtis Blaydes got a split decision against Rizvan Kuniev.

    Rafael Fiziev def. Ignacio Bahamondes

    In the co-main event, Rafael Fiziev earned a unanimous decision win against Ignacio Bahamondes.

    Khalil Rountree Jr. def. Jamahal Hill

    In the main event, Khalil Rountree Jr. earned a comfortable decision win against Jamahal hill.

  • ‘Another Bloody Battle’ – Fans React As Daria Zheleznyakova Scores Win In Striking Battle With Familiar Foe At UFC Baku

    ‘Another Bloody Battle’ – Fans React As Daria Zheleznyakova Scores Win In Striking Battle With Familiar Foe At UFC Baku

    Daria Zheleznyakova and Melissa Mullins originally met in ARES FC a few years ago, with Mullins scoring a first-round finish. But things have since changed.

    Now both women are in the UFC, and in their second meeting, it’s Zheleznyakova getting revenge with a decision win during the preliminary card of UFC Baku.

    Zheleznyakova was putting a beating on Mullins early, rocking her in the opening seconds of the fight. She continued to pepper Mullins with straights and combinations, and it looked like things would be quick. But Mullins battled back for an action-packed, back-and-forth opening frame. Mullins even scored a takedown late in the round, threatening an armbar before the end of the round.

    The action appeared to slow down in the second round, though Zheleznyakova had the upper hand. Suddenly, with just over a minute left in the round, Zheleznyakova landed a shot on the solar plexus that rocked Mullins. Zheleznyakova went in for the kill, but Mullins scored a takedown to survive the round. Zheleznyakova, however, limited what she could do on the ground.

    Mullins seemed to do more work in the third round, but it was still very back-and-forth. Controversy came, however, when Zheleznyakova used a fence grab to prevent a takedown with about a minute left — with only a warning from the referee.

    The controversy mattered not, however, as Zheleznyakova won a unanimous decision with two 30-27s and a 29-28.

    Daria Zheleznyakova Gets Revenge On Melissa Mullins

    https://twitter.com/BetWithTheBest_/status/1936488542080733512

    Since the loss, Zheleznyakova was 2-1, with a 1-1 UFC record. She made her UFC debut last year with a decision win over Montserrat Rendon and a loss against Ailín Pérez.

    Mullins joined the UFC after the win over Zheleznyakova. She entered tonight 2-1 in the Octagon, coming into this fight off a finish of Klaudia Syguła in November.

  • “Most Meaningful Thing I Could Do in Jiu-Jitsu” Mikey Musumeci on UFC BJJ’s Historic Launch

    “Most Meaningful Thing I Could Do in Jiu-Jitsu” Mikey Musumeci on UFC BJJ’s Historic Launch

    Mikey Musumeci is confident that his involvement with UFC BJJ’s massive kickoff can create the most impactful butterfly effect possible for the sport that he loves. This was expressed during a recent interview that took place with Mike Heck of MMA Fighting and covered several subjects relating to the mixed martial arts promotional leader expanding their promotional efforts into the Brazilian jiu jitsu world.

    When describing what this current situation, and by proxy the road to the future, means to him, Mikey Musumeci said,

    “It’s the most meaningful thing I could probably do in my life with jiu-jitsu, what I’m doing right now. We’re starting this program from scratch. This is UFC BJ1. I got together with Hunter Campbell and Teti in the end of November, December, and we formulated a plan how we want to change and grow grappling. The old way of grappling was not really appealing—there were just so many problems with it: matches stopping, resets, boring matches, people stalling.”

    “We really wanted to get together and figure out a way we can make this actually exciting and make it a platform that’s actually professional and long-term, where competitors could compete in and make money. I really feel like we did that. Now it’s very cool just seeing UFC and BJJ coexisting as one. It’s pretty wild to see—it’s like the old Gracie days, literally. It’s absolutely insane.”

    Mikey Musumeci and his involvement within UFC BJJ

    Mikey Musumeci will be involved in the UFC BJJ kickoff card which transpires on June 25th. This will be part of UFC’s international fight week proceedings with everything culminating in UFC 317 on June 28th which features the headliner between Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria for the vacant lightweight title. UFC BJJ 1 will broadcast on UFC Fight Pass with three title fights slated to make place at that event.

    Rerisson Gabriel and the former ONE Championship submission grappling titleholder served as opposing coaches on UFC BJJ: Road to the Title with eight overall episodes and the final episode in the series comes out on Monday, June 23rd.

  • Tofiq Musayev “I’ve Studied Myktybek Orolbai – I’m Ready for Anything He Brings” at UFC Baku

    Myktybek Orolbai has been at the nucleus of Tofiq Musayev’s recent studies as the latter prepares for his promotional debut at UFC Baku this weekend. Musayev fielded several questions from on-site reporters at the fight week media day leading into UFC on ABC 8 this Saturday as we are now days out from one of the more highly anticipated UFC debuts in recent memory.

    This is a massive stage just through the lens of making his debut on this kind of a stage but also the fact that Musayev will be the partisan favorite here as he is a native of Azerbaijan. Orolbai is looking to bounce back from his first UFC loss to Mateusz Rebecki via split decision at UFC 308 last October. This comes on the heels of back to back victories during his first pair of treks into the UFC cage with Orolbai collecting wins over Uros Medic and Elves Brener at UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig and UFC 301, respectively.

    When touching on the work heading into this contest as well as his specific thoughts on his opponent, Musayev said,

    “I have prepared very well for this fight. Myktybek Orolbai is a tough opponent, but I have studied him. I know his strengths and weaknesses. I am ready for anything he brings. My team and I have a great plan, and I’m confident in it.”

    Tofiq Musayev and his body of work in MMA pre-UFC Baku

    Tofiq Musayev began his career with a bit of an inauspicious stretch going 4-3 across his first seven bouts before embarking on a fifteen fight winning streak thereafter. Through that impressive stretch, Musayev would cement himself as the Rizin lightweight grand prix champion earning a pair of first round striking-based finishes of Damien Brown and Johnny Case before besting Patricky Pitbull in the tournament finals via unanimous decision at Rizin 20.

    After some mixed results across Bellator MMA and Rizin competition, Musayev can now say is coming into UFC Baku on the heels of consecutive victories albeit in a scenario where he will be returning to competition for the first time in over a year and a half this weekend. While this bout was shifted to a 165 pound catchweight bout last minute for undisclosed reasons, the winner will likely be well positioned within the UFC’s shark tank of a lightweight division.

  • UFC Baku Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr Card

    UFC Baku Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr Card

    UFC Baku is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup.

    The upcoming event takes place Saturday, June 21, at the Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. The main card begins at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT.

    Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill returns to the Octagon and looks to get back in the win column, as he takes on Khalil Rountree Jr.

    Also making the walk on Saturday will include Rafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes (who compete in the lightweight co-main event), as well as Curtis Blaydes, Tofiq Musayev and Nazim Sadykhov.

    UFC Baku: Hill vs. Rountree Jr Betting Odds

    Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC Baku (as of 11:30 pm ET on 6/20), courtesy of DraftKings.

    Main Card:

    • Jamahal Hill (-110) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (-110)
    • Rafael Fiziev (+124) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (-148)
    • Curtis Blaydes (-258) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (+210)
    • Tofiq Musayev (+130) vs. Myktybek Orolbai (-155)
    • Nazim Sadykhov (-410) vs. Nikolas Motta (+320)
    • Muhammad Naimov (-258) vs. Bogdan Grad (+210)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Ko Seok-hyun (+370) vs. Oban Elliott (-485)
    • Ismail Naurdiev (+145) vs. Park Jun-yong (-175)
    • Daria Zheleznyakova (+210) vs. Melissa Mullins (-258)
    • Irina Alekseeva (-265) vs. Klaudia Sygula (+215)
    • Tagir Ulanbekov (-500) vs. Azat Maksum (+380)
    • Hamdy Abdelwahab (-162) vs. Mohammed Usman (+136)
  • ‘Kevin Lee Is Beyond Washed’ – Fans React To Gadzhi Rabadanov Putting Away Kevin Lee In Quick Fashion At PFL Wichita To Reach PFL World Tournament Finals

    ‘Kevin Lee Is Beyond Washed’ – Fans React To Gadzhi Rabadanov Putting Away Kevin Lee In Quick Fashion At PFL Wichita To Reach PFL World Tournament Finals

    Gadzhi Rabadanov is now one win away from back-to-back tournament titles with the PFL after defeating Kevin Lee in the semifinals of the lightweight PFL Tournament in the main event of PFL Wichita.

    Rabadanov dropped Lee early with a stiff jab, and from there, he didn’t let up. Rabadanov rocked Lee multiple times with his strikes, scoring another knockdown during the round.

    Lee tried to stay in it, but a relentless barrage eventually resulted in a faceplant knockdown, forcing the ref to wave it off.

    Gadzhi Rabadanov Reaches PFL World Tournament Final, KOs Kevin Lee At PFL Wichita

    Last year, Rabadanov ran through Solomon Renfro, Elvin Espinoza, Michael Dufort and Brent Primus to capture the 2024 PFL lightweight championship. He earned tonight’s semifinal spot with a first-round finish of Marc Diakiese in April.

    Lee made his PFL debut tonight, replacing an injured Jay-Jay Wilson. Lee had made his return to MMA after more than a year away this past September, scoring a first-round finish of Thiago Oliveira at Lights Out Championship 17.

  • ‘Still Out Here’ – Fans React To Liz Carmouche Easily Defeating Elora Dana At PFL Wichita To Clinch Another PFL World Tournament Final

    ‘Still Out Here’ – Fans React To Liz Carmouche Easily Defeating Elora Dana At PFL Wichita To Clinch Another PFL World Tournament Final

    Liz Carmouche can add to her trophy case with one more victory this summer, as she defeats Elora Dana in the semifinals of the PFL World Tournament in the co-main event of PFL Wichita.

    Carmouche wasted no time in the opening round, scoring an early takedown and landing a big elbow that created a hematoma on Dana’s head. Dana threatened with submissions off her back, but Carmouche’s ground-and-pound gave her the edge.

    Carmouche controlled clinch exchanges and landed another takedown in the second frame, briefly securing a crucifix position. Carmouche dished out ground strikes and a big elbow in the final seconds, rocking Sana to close the round.

    Dana tried to rally with combination in the third, but Carmouche remained composed and landed heavy low kicks and controlled the exchanges.

    Liz Carmouche Punches Ticket To Second Straight Women’s Flyweight Final At PFL World Tournament In Wichita

    Carmouche made the PFL women’s flyweight finals in last year’s season, losing to Dakota Ditcheva. Carmouche entered tonight’s semifinals off a first-round finish of Ilara Joanne. She’ll now face Jena Bishop in the August tournament final.

    Dana entered tonight’s bout with a perfect 8-0 record and four finishes. She earned her semifinal spot with a first-round submission of Diana Avsaragova.

  • ‘Archie Colgan Is A Contender’ – Fans React To Archie Colgan Putting On Scrappy Performance In Win At PFL Wichita

    ‘Archie Colgan Is A Contender’ – Fans React To Archie Colgan Putting On Scrappy Performance In Win At PFL Wichita

    Archie Colgan remained undefeated with a gritty decision victory over Mansour Barnaoui in a lightweight showcase bout during the PFL Wichita card as part of the PFL World Tournament.

    Barnaoui started strong with range strikes and clinch knees during the opening frame, but Colgan controlled the exchanges with consistent, sharp right hands. Colgan also scored a key takedown in the round, where he also busted Barnaoui’s nose up.

    Barnaoui appeared to clip Colgan early in the second round, but Colgan’s wrestling was relentless, landing multiple takedowns and threatening an arm-triangle choke. He also shook off submission attempts from Barnaoui from the bottom.

    Colgan then put a battering on Barnaoui in the third round after an early scare, landing plenty of damaging strikes.

    Barnaoui entered tonight with 10 wins in his last 12. He had most recently defeated Alfie Davis at the PFL World Championships card this past November.

    Colgan entered tonight undefeated in MMA. He had most recently fought at the Bellator event in London this past September, scoring a decision win over Manoel Sousa.

  • ‘Beat Jake Hadley To A Pulp’ – Fans React To Marcirley Alves Showing No Mercy To Jake Hadley In PFL World Tournament Semifinal

    ‘Beat Jake Hadley To A Pulp’ – Fans React To Marcirley Alves Showing No Mercy To Jake Hadley In PFL World Tournament Semifinal

    Marcirley Alves put on a dominant striking display, busting up Jake Hadley badly as he took the win in their bantamweight semifinal bout at the PFL World Tournament card in Wichita, Kansas.

    Alves set the tone early with crisp combination and relentless body work, frequently pressuring Hadley and controlling the pace. Things got more brutal in the second round, rocking Hadley with the body shots and dropping him with a strong left. By the end of the second round, Hadley was a bloody mess.

    Alves continued this body shot attack domination throughout the third, even landing a takedown in the closing seconds to seal the deal.

    Marcirley Alves Puts One-Sided Beatdown On Jake Hadley In PFL World Tournament Bout

    Alves has now won five of six, reaching tonight’s semifinals with an upset win over Leandro Higo in April. He’ll now face Justin Wetzell in the finals in August.

    Hadley had advanced to tonight with a Scottish twister submission of Matheus Mattos.

  • ‘That Second Round Was Magic’ – Fans React To Alfie Davis Putting On Striking Display In PFL World Tournament Semifinal Win Over Former Bellator Champion

    ‘That Second Round Was Magic’ – Fans React To Alfie Davis Putting On Striking Display In PFL World Tournament Semifinal Win Over Former Bellator Champion

    Alfie Davis put on quite the striking show as he defeated Brent Primus in their semifinal match in the PFL World Tournament card in Wichita.

    Primus controlled much of the opening round, thanks to an early takedown and repeatedly threatening submissions with his rubber guard. He added in elbows, which resulted in Davis bleeding from one of the sides of his head.

    Davis, however, turned things around in the second, preventing Primus’s takedown efforts and landing sharp strikes. He peppered Primus with combinations, and he even stunned the former Bellator champ with a spinning elbow despite Primus’s attempts to pressure.

    Davis continued to press the action with his strikes in the third, but Primus got back on top on the ground and threatened full mount. Davis scrambled and reversed the position, however, landing strong shots from up top late in the fight.

    Davis scored 29-28 totals on all three judges’ scorecards.

    Alfie Davis Edges Out Brent Primus In PFL World Tournament Matchup

    Davis has now won five of his last six. He entered tonight’s semifinal off a stunning knockout win over Clay Collard in April.

    Primus has now lost two of his last three. He had secured his semifinal spot with a submission of Vinicius Cenci.

  • ‘Extremely Lackluster Main Card Opener’ – Fans Blast Justin Wetzell Win Over Mando Gutierrez To Start PFL World Tournament Card In Wichita

    ‘Extremely Lackluster Main Card Opener’ – Fans Blast Justin Wetzell Win Over Mando Gutierrez To Start PFL World Tournament Card In Wichita

    Gutierrez had early striking success and attempted a guillotine in the opening round. Wetzell, however, reversed into top control and landed consistent ground-and-pound.

    That focus on the guillotine may have been Gutierrez’s downfall. The second round saw Wetzell assert more control with takedowns, positional advances, and steady ground striking. Gutierrez’s rubber guard and submission attempts weren’t enough for sustained offense.

    Wetzell continued to pressure and press the action on the ground in the third en route to a decision win.

    Justin Wetzell Earns Decision To Advance To PFL World Tournament Finals

    https://twitter.com/100PEAKTEAM/status/1936220890909601908

    Wetzell has now won five straight. He advanced to the semifinals with a decision over Kasum Kasumov in April.

    Gutierrez sees a three-fight win streak snapped. He earned tonight’s spot with a submission over Francesco Nuzzi.

  • ‘Class Grappling’ – Fans React To Jena Bishop Securing PFL World Tournament Finals Spot With Choke

    ‘Class Grappling’ – Fans React To Jena Bishop Securing PFL World Tournament Finals Spot With Choke

    Jena Bishop put on a submissions masterclass in her win over Ekaterina Shakalova, scoring a second-round finish to move on to the finals of the PFL women’s flyweight World Tournament.

    Bishop looked for submissions early in the opening round, as Shakalova attempted to pressure early, only to be thwarted by Bishop’s takedown attempts. Bishop constantly attacked from the bottom, adding hammerfists into attempts of a triangle, heel hook, and calf slicer — though Shakalova landed strong shots from up top.

    But in the second round, Bishop took quick control of the action, quickly advancing into mount and then taking the back. She sunk in a choke and scored the victory from there.

    Jena Bishop Advances To World Tournament Finals With Submission-Filled Performance

    https://twitter.com/easedbeecod/status/1936206356085653732

    Bishop made it to the semifinals of last year’s women’s flyweight season, losing to eventual champion Dakota Ditcheva. Bishop had made it into tonight’s semifinals with a win over Kana Watanabe in April.

    Shakalova made it to this semifinal fight with a major upset over former Bellator champion Julianna Velasquez in their opening round encounter.

  • VIDEO: Watch Vinicius Cenci Lock Up Fast Triangle Choke Submission At PFL Wichita

    VIDEO: Watch Vinicius Cenci Lock Up Fast Triangle Choke Submission At PFL Wichita

    Before the PFL World Tournament semifinals kicked off in Wichita, a series of showcase bouts showed fighters looking to make an impact and standout in their performances.

    Vinicius Cenci appeared to understand the assignment, scoring a first-round submission over Antonio Caruso in under two minutes during the event’s early card.

    Caruso had pressed Cenci into the fence and was looking for a takedown, only for Cenci to turn the tables on him. After Cenci looked for a guillotine initially, he threw up his guard for a triangle choke attempt.

    Vinicius Cenci Scores Triangle Choke Over Antonio Caruso In Early Card Of PFL Wichita

    Caruso looked to slam Cenci, but that just tightened the choke, with Cenci scoring the submission.

    Cenci rebounds after losing his PFL lightweight tournament first-round bout against former Bellator lightweight champion Brent Primus in April.

    Caruso had won two straight but now finds himself 0-2 in the PFL.

  • Khalil Rountree Jr: Why Waiting for Jamahal Hill Could Be His Biggest Advantage Yet

    Khalil Rountree Jr: Why Waiting for Jamahal Hill Could Be His Biggest Advantage Yet

    Khalil Rountree Jr has made it crystal clear that he is as ready as he can be for the challenge of facing Jamahal Hill tomorrow night.

    On Saturday, Khalil Rountree Jr will stand across the cage from Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC Baku. It will serve as the first time that the promotion has visited Azerbaijan, and they’ve certainly put on a fascinating main event for the occasion. Both of these fighters know what it’s like to compete for the title, and that’s where they want to be all over again.

    For Khalil Rountree Jr, this is a chance to prove that while his performance against Alex Pereira was impressive, it wasn’t a one off. In a recent interview, he spoke openly on the matter.

    Khalil Rountree Jr previews Jamahal Hill fight

    “A win over Jamahal Hill just kind of solidifies that I belong, that I still belong up here. There wasn’t too much thought into it. It was just like, ‘Hey, let’s keep things as they are.’ I don’t mind waiting a little bit more. We’ve already prepared for this guy, so let’s just give it a little bit more time and everything will work out. This is one of those rare circumstances where waiting might have actually paid off for me.”

    “He thinks he’s more skilled. I’ve heard it before. I just try not to pay too much attention to it. For me, the priority is making sure that I’m at my best when that cage closes and the ref asks me if I’m ready. I would say with conviction, ‘Yes.’ Everything else after that is the way it’s supposed to be. I’m prepared for the best version of Jamahal Hill.”

  • Joaquin Buckley Unleashes Explosive Rant on Israel Adesanya: “You Ain’t a Real Fighter”

    Joaquin Buckley Unleashes Explosive Rant on Israel Adesanya: “You Ain’t a Real Fighter”

    UFC welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley has unleashed a rant on Israel Adesanya after some recent disparaging remarks from ‘Stylebender’.

    As we know, Joaquin Buckley is one of the top welterweights in the world right now. Unfortunately for him, last weekend, that reputation took a bit of a knock. That’s because he fell short in his attempt to defeat Kamaru Usman, largely getting dominated on the ground. As we look ahead to the future, it’ll be interesting to see how he builds himself back up from this after what was clearly a big loss for him to take.

    In a reaction video posted to his YouTube channel, Israel Adesanya made it known that he isn’t a big fan of Joaquin Buckley – in fact, he went a bit further than that. As you can imagine, Buckley wasn’t too pleased to hear this, and he’s decided to respond. These two men are obviously in different weight classes and in different phases of their respective careers, but it’s interesting to see that a feud has developed out of it.

    In his own video, Joaquin Buckley had this to say on the matter.

    Joaquin Buckley shows frustration towards Israel Adesanya

    “I don’t know why you on my d*ck anyway… You ain’t a real fighter, you wanna be a lil pretty boy. I would give you a sample but I don’t like boy p*ssy.”

    Buckley has always been a guy who likes to talk trash to people, and we’re intrigued to see how this develops, if at all.

  • Alexandre Pantoja Ready to Move Up and Face ‘Suga’: “I Would Fight Sean O’Malley for Free”

    Alexandre Pantoja Ready to Move Up and Face ‘Suga’: “I Would Fight Sean O’Malley for Free”

    UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja is ready to make the move up and face Sean O’Malley in the bantamweight division, suggesting that he’d even do it for free.

    Over the course of the last few years, Alexandre Pantoja has really come into his own as the champion at 125 pounds. He’s been able to turn back a parade of challengers and now, we’re at the point where he’s one of the best pound for pound fighters in the entire UFC. As we look ahead to the future, his next test will see him defend the strap against Kai Kara-France at UFC 317.

    Beyond that, though, nobody really knows what’s next for him. In a recent interview with Stake, Alexandre Pantoja made it known that bantamweight is a real possibility – and that he has an opponent in mind.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYBhYG1ncwc

    Alexandre Pantoja is open to Sean O’Malley fight

    “If it makes sense to the UFC, I think it’s going to happen. I would need to gain 10lbs of muscle, which takes time. For bigger guys, it’s easier to change weight classes, but I would need time. If I had the chance to fight for the belt, or fight someone like O’Malley, I would do it. 

    “O’Malley has stopped the weed, has more connection to his family, and maybe Merab made him humble, which is good for the world. O’Malley is super good, but Merab has something O’Malley never had. Merab had to fight to eat. I am very proud to have given my kids a good life, but I say to them, that they never had to struggle like me, and that’s the same with Merab and O’Malley. I would fight O’Malley for free.”

    Quotes via Stake

  • Khalil Rountree Jr: How Facing Alex Pereira Forged Unbreakable Grit ‘It helped me have some pride’

    Khalil Rountree Jr: How Facing Alex Pereira Forged Unbreakable Grit ‘It helped me have some pride’

    UFC light heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr has spoken candidly about his title showdown with Alex Pereira.

    On Saturday night, Khalil Rountree Jr will return to the cage when he goes head to head with Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC Baku. There’s a lot of excitement in the air regarding how this fight may look, and for the most part, that’s because both men are strikers, and they’re both more than happy to stand and bang.

    The story of Khalil Rountree Jr has been a pretty inspirational one ever since he first entered the promotion. If he can pick up a decisive win here, there’s a solid chance he could vault back into championship contention.

    In a recent interview, Khalil Rountree Jr spoke about what he took away from the Alex Pereira fight.

    Khalil Rountree Jr discusses Alex Pereira defeat

    “I think that I proved to myself how far I was willing to go. You know, before it was over, had he not put me down with that shot, I would have just kept going. My entire face would have probably been even more mangled than it was. I just wasn’t going to give up. And, you know, obviously it hurt after—emotionally and physically—but I rose up from it because I was able to go through the fire. 

    “I think going through the fire really builds character, especially when you know that you gave your best and not one moment in that fight was I ever discouraged or wanted to quit. It just helped me have some pride, some inner grit. I got this like rock of gold, and I was like, ‘Ah, okay, cool.’ I can store that and hold on to that for myself, for no one else but myself.”

  • Kevin Lee: Why Facing Fear and a Dangerous Opponent Brings Out His Best

    Kevin Lee: Why Facing Fear and a Dangerous Opponent Brings Out His Best

    Former UFC star Kevin Lee has said that facing a dangerous opponent is what brings out the best in him.

    As we know, Kevin Lee was once considered to be the next big thing at 155 pounds in mixed martial arts. Unfortunately, he was never quite able to live up to his potential in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Even after re-signing, he lost pretty quickly in his return fight, and he even retired at one point.

    Now, at the age of 32, Kevin Lee is hoping that he can finally prove himself – this time under the PFL umbrella. He’s set to face Gadzhi Rabadanov tonight and ahead of the fight, he spoke candidly about his excitement for this contest.

    Kevin Lee looks ahead to MMA return

    “This is exactly what I’m talking about. I’m not saying give me a warm-up fight, give me an alternate fight—I’m jumping in there against one of the most dangerous lightweights on planet Earth. That’s the thing that excites me. The fights where I’m most scared, those are the fights where I really turn up and I really show my best. I like fights where I’m a little bit scared, a little bit nervous getting in there. 

    “I don’t know how fast this guy is, I don’t know how hard he hits. He obviously has a tremendous left hook that he’s hit a lot of people with. But the good thing is, I’ve got a lot of years left on my body and in this game, so there’s still a big future ahead, and I’m excited to go out there and show that.”

  • UFC Baku Weigh-In Results: No Misses, One Late Catchweight Adjustment

    UFC Baku Weigh-In Results: No Misses, One Late Catchweight Adjustment

    The countdown to UFC Baku is almost over. All fighters have stepped on the scale, and we’ve got the final weigh-in results right here at MMA News.

    The UFC is set to break new ground this Saturday, June 21, as it makes its debut in Azerbaijan, bringing a stacked Fight Night card to the Baku Crystal Hall.

    Image: @ufc/X

    UFC Baku will be headlined by a crucial showdown between top light heavyweight contenders Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. Originally scheduled to collide at UFC 303 in June 2024, their matchup was shelved after “The War Horse” was handed a suspension for testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid DHEA.

    The duo was rebooked to headline UFC Kansas City this past April, but the bout was once again postponed when Hill was forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury.

    Meanwhile, the co-main event features a compelling lightweight clash between Rafael Fiziev and rising prospect Ignacio Bahamondes. Elsewhere on the main card, former interim heavyweight title challenger Curtis Blaydes returns to welcome promotional newcomer Rizvan Kuniev.

    Ahead of UFC Baku, the official weigh-ins took place Friday morning at the UFC host hotel in Azerbaijan, where headliners Hill and Rountree Jr. successfully hit the non-title light heavyweight limit at 206 pounds. While Fiziev and Bahamondes each came in on point at 155.5 pounds, making their fight official without issue.

    However, the weigh-ins did feature a late change, as the scheduled lightweight bout between Myktybek Orolbai and Octagon debutant Tofiq Musayev was shifted to a catchweight of 165 pounds for undisclosed reasons. Musayev weighed in at 163 pounds, while Orolbai hit the agreed limit exactly at 165.

    UFC Baku Complete Weigh-In Results

    Main Card

    • Light heavyweight: Jamahal Hill (206) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (206)
    • Lightweight: Rafael Fiziev (155.5) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (155.5)
    • Heavyweight: Curtis Blaydes (258) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (264.5)
    • Catchweight: Tofiq Musayev (163) vs. Myktybek Orolbai (165)
    • Lightweight: Nazim Sadykhov (155) vs. Nikolas Motta (155.5)
    • Featherweight: Muhammad Naimov (146) vs. Bogdan Grad (146)

    Preliminary Card

    • Welterweight: SeokHyeon Ko (169.5) vs. Oban Elliott (170.5)
    • Middleweight: Ismael Naurdiev (186) vs. JunYong Park (186)
    • Women’s bantamweight: Daria Zhelezniakova (136) vs. Melissa Mullins (136)
    • Women’s bantamweight: Irina Alekseeva (135.5) vs. Klaudia Sygula (135)
    • Flyweight: Tagir Ulanbekov (126) vs. Azat Maksum (126)
    • Heavyweight: Hamdy Abdelwahab (264.5) vs. Mohammed Usman (244.5)
  • Rafael Fiziev on UFC Baku Energy “When Both Fighters Want to Put on a Show, That’s When Magic Happens”

    Rafael Fiziev on UFC Baku Energy “When Both Fighters Want to Put on a Show, That’s When Magic Happens”

    Rafael Fiziev wants to create something magical inside the octagon this weekend but he needs his UFC Baku opponent to do his part in generating some Saturday night magic also. Ignacio Bahamondes is that opponent in question with many thinking we have a barnburner bout on paper awaiting the MMA world for their UFC on ABC 8 co-main event bout. Fiziev fielded questions from several on-site media members ahead of this historic homecoming fight for the Azerbaijan-based fighter.

    When referencing Bahamondes’ previously uttered media day comments regarding wanting to put on a show here, Fiziev said,

    “That’s good, that’s good! I don’t have to care about, you know, when only one guy in the cage wants to make a bonus, wants to make a beautiful fight. Sometimes it’s a little hard to make a beautiful fight because maybe the other guy steps back, tries to be safe more. But when both guys want to make it, I’m just happy for that. Thank you for that! I hope he’s really going to do that, follow through his words. I just like it.”

    Rafael Fiziev has a game dance partner at UFC Baku according to Bahamondes himself

    Rafael Fiziev will seemingly have all the ingredients at paly for a magical fight to happen this weekend per pre-fight statements by Ignacio Bahamondes. The striking ability of Fiziev was highly touted by his opponent but Bahamondes was also clear to express that he feels he is better in every area of the game than the local favorite.

    Bahamondes indicated a want to dominate his opponent to show the entire arsenal he possesses per what was stated during a pre-fight interview with MMA Junkie. Expounding upon his vision for this UFC Baku bout, Bahamondes quipped [via MMA Junkie],

    “It’s going to be fireworks for three rounds, five minutes, whatever the fight lasts. It’s going to be fireworks. You know Fiziev doesn’t play, he goes to fight, and you know I don’t play either. I’m going to stand in there, and I’m going to try and finish him. So, it’s going to be exciting to see that fight how it goes because I’m willing to die in there. So, I hope he’s there and ready to die, too.”