Issue 208

August 2024

Ray Klerck jumps into the Fighters Only wayback machine to recap the best of mixed martial arts in August 2024

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Booked For PFL Super Fight Show

Aug 07, 2024 

Francis Ngannou will make his long awaited return to the cage, as he steps into the PFL SmartCage against 2023 PFL Heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira at ‘Battle Of The Giants: Brace For Impact’.

The heavyweights will headline the inaugural PFL Super Fights show on October 19, with an equally exciting co-main event between Cris ‘Cyborg’ and Larissa Pacheco.

The fight night will see Ngannou return to the cage for the first time in over two years, having explored the world of boxing and competed against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua within the last 12 months.

The super fight will also see ‘The Predator’ step inside of the Smart Cage, as an athlete, for the first time. When he signed with the promotion, it was also revealed that Ngannou would serve as the chairman and equity owner of PFL Africa, as the Professional Fighters League continue to expand into new territories. 

Ferreira, who is nominated for the 2024 World MMA Awards’ Charles Lewis Fighter Of The Year, will be looking to add another huge scalp to his resume following his 21 second stoppage against Bellator Heavyweight champion Ryan Bader at PFL vs Bellator: Champs card.

Speaking about the monumental card, PFL CEO, Peter Murray, said:

“The Professional Fighters League is excited to announce the highly anticipated return of superstar, undisputed Heavyweight Champion, Francis Ngannou, to MMA in The Battle of the Giants against the most-feared Heavyweight, 6-foot-8 2023 PFL Heavyweight Champion Renan Ferreira in the biggest world title fight of the year,

“On October 19 live on ESPN+ in the U.S. and DAZN worldwide, MMA fans around the world will witness a true battle of the greatest fighters on the planet competing for the PFL Super Fights Championship Belts."

Ahead of the contest, Ngannou said:

“Renan is a great fighter; I have been watching him for years.

“I have been studying him for years, in fact I’ve been telling people to watch this guy. He’s quite unique, he’s athletic, fast, his size doesn’t impress me as much as his skill.”

Since signing with the PFL back in 2021, ‘Problema’ has amassed 7-1-0-3 record. In his last four bouts, Ferreira has stopped all four opponents by way of strikes.

At the time of writing, the destination for the Super Fight PPV card has not been announced.

Jordan Vucenic Reflects On UFC Debut: "I Proved I Can Hang With Some Of The Best In The World"

Aug 10, 2024 

Jordan Vucenic has managed to take a lot of positives away from his UFC debut, despite the result. 

‘The Epidemic’ received a short notice call up to the promotion when Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady was ruled out of his bout against Guram Kutateladze a little less than two weeks out from the fight night. 

Vucenic, who had recently competed at Cage Warriors 174, jumped at the chance and moved up a weight division for the trip to Abu Dhabi.

Speaking to Mike Owens of Inside Fighting, Vucenic disclosed that the loss didn’t sting as much as he thought it might as he felt he proved the doubters wrong. He said:

It wasn't as hard (of a) loss as I would have thought, because, I come in with a lot of odds against me. Even looking at everything that was wrote online. ‘Oh Jordan’s too small, he's going to get smashed, he's got no striking, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.’ Well, evidently I proved I wasn't too small, I proved that I do have some striking and I proved I can hang with some of the best in the world.” 

The bout marked the first of a multi-fight deal for the 28-year-old, who is still coming to terms with the idea of fighting under the UFC banner. 

“(It feels) Amazing. I still keep just giggling to myself now that I'm in the UFC, like I've just walked out the shop there, bought myself an Oreo ice cream bar and some M&M’s and I just giggled because I seen my shoes. I've got the UFC sliders on and I just giggled thinking ‘Isn’t it funny I'm going to meet The Rock and all that soon.' So I just giggling about it.”

Whenever an athlete takes a bout on short notice, it is a risk. Having fought just two weeks prior, Vucenic acknowledged the fact that circumstances were less than ideal heading into his UFC debut and led to him fighting a little differently than fight fans are used to seeing. 

“It’s a lesson not a loss so much for me. I'm happy with the performance. Look, I fought against Kepa and then every day I was eating in a calorie deficit, but I wasn’t eat in the cleanest of foods.

“I was eating cake and that every day. These are the things that people don't take into consideration. You got I think I had like a week and a half taper before the Kepa fight, so no intense cardio. Then I have the Kepa fight. Then I had two weeks from the Kepa fight till that fight with no cardio for technically those three and a half, nearly four weeks of no intense cardio.

“Could you imagine if I was getting ready for a fight and I said to you ‘I am going to do a four week taper before the fight. You say to me, ’You're f**king nuts. Your fitness is going to get shot if you do that.’ That's basically what I had. So it's like in the fight where I dropped them, I'm like, ‘Oh, go, go, go.’

“And then I had that be in my head ‘No, no, no be a bit reserved, because you don't want to bust a nut and then you don't want to be regretting it second and third round.’ But on a full camp, he was getting put to sleep when I dropped him there because I would not have let him tie me up in rubber guard and stuff, I would have just been ripping elbows from the top.”

Ever the gentleman, and a man who rarely lets his emotions get involved or engages in ‘bad blood’ with his opponents, Vucenic admitted that in an unusual way, he was almost happy he lost, as it meant Kutateladze may well be able to continue on his UFC tenure. 

“I'm almost happy I lost.

“And I'll tell you as for why. If I would have beat Guram, his career would have been over and mine would have just begun. Do you understand what I'm saying? Because it was probably the last fight on his UFC contract. But because Guram won and I lost my journey now just starts with the UFC & his journey gets a second chance.”

9 New Faces Join Cage Warriors Roster

Aug 11, 2024 

Cage Warriors have once again bolstered their roster with 9 new signings.

The promotion are continually looking for the best of the best in Europe and the most recent signings certainly supports this.

Cameron Stewart will make his professional debut in the famous yellow gloves. After becoming a regular feature under the Cage Warriors Academy banner, Stewart will likely make his debut later this year.

Although no stranger to the Cage Warriors cage, Xhaferi now has his future committed to Cage Warriors. All five of the Albanian’s wins have came within the distance and he will no doubt be a welcome addition to the Lightweight division.

Harry Shaw has had a difficult start to professional life, having only competed once a year since 2022. Having been out of action for over a year now, Shaw will be looking to get regular bouts.

Jack Foote’s amateur career saw the Scotsman collect 3 submission wins. ’The Foote Soldier’ will want to show his slick ground game when he makes his promotional debut.

Yet to see the second round as a professional, Nick Beukema will look to continue his fine form when he competes under the Cage Warriors banner.

Reggie Hingston is one of a number of Scottish natives to sign a multi fight contract with Cage Warriors. In his only professional bout so far, he stopped Marcin Stravek in the first round of their bout at Goliath Fight Series 6.

Robin Roos put on a splendid display when he faced Dario Bellandi for the Cage Warriors Middleweight title. Although the result didn’t go his way, Roos impressed enough to earn a multi-fight deal.

Alongside stable mates Chris Bungard, Michael Blair and Jordan Stronge, Ryan Campbell is the latest Scottish Hit Squad athlete to join the Cage Warriors ranks. ‘Relentless’ turned to the professional ranks in 2023 and currently hold a 1-0 record, with a unanimous decision win at Budo Fighting Championship 59.

His first contest with Cage Warriors did not go to plan but Thodoris Serdes will be back in action this year as he looks to make an impact in the Middleweight division.

Dan Hooker Returns With A New Appreciation At UFC 305

Aug 15, 2024 

Dan Hooker cannot wait to step back inside the octagon this Saturday night, after one of the longest lay-offs of his career. 

‘The Hangman’ returns to action at UFC 305, when he faces Mateusz Gamrot in a Lightweight contest. 

Hooker is known for being an extremely active athlete on the UFC roster but the Australian has been sidelined for some time, due to numerous injuries. Ahead of his return, Hooker sat down with the media and was delighted to be back to competition. He said:

“I feel good. I feel good. Body is at 100%. Yeah. It's just everything I feel like has come together in the last year, so I'm just looking to showcase that all.”

It is rare that the 34-year-old is often in extremely fan friendly, strike heavy wars but that is a far cry from what he is expecting from Gamrot. A large proportion of the Polishman’s wins under the UFC banner have been a result of him wearing down opponents with his grappling prowess. Hooker admitted that this has led to some changes to his usual preparations. 

“It's just been a pest of a training camp, really. Just everyone diving at your legs for the past six weeks. I can’t say it’s the most fun I've ever had, but getting hit in the head a lot less, it's not bad.”

2024 marks Hooker’s 10th year in the UFC. ‘Hangman’ reflected on the incredible feat and discussed how times have changes since he first outing under the promotional banner.

“Yeah, I feel like I did get into the UFC very young, like I was only just turned 24 when I first got into the UFC and I was not a well developed fighter by any means in the imagination. So yeah, I've had to do my development in the big show. I've had to do my development against the best guys in the world.

“And you obviously trying new things, like some fights I’ll fight completely southpaw, some fights, I’m orthodox, some fight I’m wrestling, But you've got no choice. If I would have just got into the UFC and stayed (how I was), mate I was like a forward pressure fighter that would wear you out, come forward and fight you on the inside, which is the dumbest move humanly possible as a six foot tall Lightweight.

“So I've just constantly been working on things and I feel like everything's just coming together now where I can showcase a finished product. I feel like I just got good in the last year, so it's like, Well, I'm going to quit now when I just got good is doesn't make any sense.”

Hooker has never had such a gap between bouts since signing with the UFC. The veteran revealed the time off has given him a new perspective

“Time away gives you like perspective. Definitely, you appreciate it. You appreciate all these moments, but it's definitely... mate, you don't eat for a long time. you get hungry, there's no real rocket science to that. So I just haven't eaten for a long time and I'm starving.”

Hooker believes that whoever the victor is on Saturday night must be next in line for the title. This is due to the fact that many of the athletes sitting above the number 5 spot in the Lightweight rankings picked up losses in their last bouts. 

“Who else is there? The only other guys (at the top), you ain't getting the title shot off a loss. If you want to be next in line, you're going to have to (win). Like, what? Now Arman is next in line? Who's after that? The title fights booked, Arman (vs) Islam, it's like who's after that? And that'll be the winner of this weekend, this is the next guy.”

2 Title Fights Confirmed For UFC 307

UFC 307 will feature a blockbuster main and co-main event, with the Light Heavyweight and Women's Bantamweight title both on the line.

The promotion will head back to the Vivint Arena, a place which already holds significant UFC history, such as Leon Edwards' iconic fifth round head kick win against Kamaru Usman to be crowned the UFC Welterweight champion, on October 5.

In the main event, Alex Pereira will make his third outing of the year, as he looks to make his third Light Heavyweight title defence, against Khalil Rountree Jr.

Since signing with the UFC in 2021, 'Poatan' has been immensely impressive. In just his fourth fight under the UFC banner, the Brazilian once again finished his long time nemesis Israel Adesanya and was crowned the UFC Middleweight champion in the process. After dropping the belt to 'The Last Stylebender' in their rematch, Pereira moved up to 205lbs on his hunt to become a two weight division champion. He achieved the feat just two fights later and since then, has made two destructive defences of his title.

Rountree Jr. comes into the contest unbeaten in 5. 4 of the 5 wins have came by way of strikes, and entering the bout against another striking sensation, fans could be in for a treat when the two meet. His return will also mark the first time Rountree has competed since receiving a two month ban following taking a supplement that contained a banned substance.

In the co-main event, Raquel Pennington will be keen to keep a hold of the Bantamweight title she won at the start of the year, against former champion Julianna Pena.

After over a decade in the UFC, Pennington eventually got her hands on UFC gold at UFC 297, when she beat Mayra Bueno Silva over five rounds to claim the vacant title.

By the time Pena makes the walk, it will be the first time she has set foot inside the octagon, to compete, since July 2022. After taking the title from Amanda Nunes at UFC 269, Pena met Nunes in a rematch at UFC 277, when she lost the belt to 'The Lioness'. Pena has made no secret of the fact that she was happy to wait out until the opportunity to compete for the belt rolled around again and she now finds herself back in a title fight.

Away from the two title fights, the card is stacked with big names, with 5 bouts already being booked for the October 5 show, per UFC.com.

Number 9 ranked Welterweight Stephen Thompson will be back in action for the first time since December 2023, when he takes on the number 11 ranked Joaquin Buckley.

MMA legend Jose Aldo will step foot inside the UFC Octagon once more when he faces Mario Bautista in a Bantamweight contest. Fresh off his short notice win against Anthony Smith, Roman Dolidze will return to the fold to square off agains the ever entertaining Kevin Holland.

Former Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will look to work his way up the rankings as he makes his second outing as a Featherweight against the unbeaten Movsar Evloev, in what should be an extremely technical grappling affair.

Kayla Harrison looked very good in her promotional debut at UFC 300 against Holly Holm. The multiple time PFL World Champion is keen to get a shot a UFC gold in a rapid manner and will look to put herself in contention with a bout against the number 2 ranked Ketlen Vierira.

Impa Kasanganay Books Spot In Back To Back PFL Championships With Win Over Josh Silveira

Aug 18, 2024 

The Light Heavyweight and Lightweight finalists have booked their places in the 2024 PFL Global Championships following an action packed night Florida.

Along with the playoffs for two divisions, the 10 bout fight card featured numerous up and coming prospects.

In the main event, Impa Kasanganay was taken to the judges score cards for the first time this season, by Josh Silveira, but still collected the unanimous decision win to book his place in the final.

Kasanganay will face Dovlet Yagshimuradov in the final. The Russian defeated 2022 Champion Robert Wilkinson, outworking the American over all three rounds to score 30-27 on all three judges scorecards.

Gadzhi Rabadanov was the only man in the play offs to secure a finish, with a second round knock out over Michael Durfort. Rabadanov clipped Durfort with a left flush left hook that dropped the Canadian and Rabadanov followed up with some heavy strikes to call an end to the action.

He will now face former Bellator champion Brent Primus in the Lighweight championship final. Primus completely dominated Clay Collard over all three rounds of their Playoff bout to earn a unanimous decision win.

Biaggio Ali Walsh opened up the main card in style, needing just less than an minute to dispatch of

Discussing the night's action, PFL CEO Peter Murray said:

"Tonight, MMA fans around the world witnessed four remarkable fighters continue their million dollar PFL dreams.

“The 2024 PFL Playoffs have showcased the very best in MMA and we look forward to the third PFL Playoff event on August 23 to determine the remaining matchups in the 2024 PFL World Championship.”

PFL President of Fighter Operations, Ray Sefo was equally impressed with the fight night. He said: 

“The PFL provided fans with can’t miss action in another entertaining PFL Playoff thriller this evening,

“Congratulations to the four athletes who punched their tickets to the 2024 PFL World Championship.”

The early card was also dominated with decisions. Danny Sabatello had to rally late, after a first round that almost saw him finished, to earn the decision against the unbeaten Lazaro Dayron. There were also decision wins for Mads Burnell, Thad Jean and Jordan Oliver. 

Michelle Montague continued her perfect run as a professional and kept up her impressive 100% rear naked choke finish rate alive as she stopped Marilla Morais in the first round. 

COMPLETE RESULTS

Main Card Results:

Light Heavyweight Semifinal: #1 Impa Kasanganay defeated #4 Josh Silveira via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Light Heavyweight Semifinal: #3 Dovlet Yagshimuradov defeated #2 Rob Wilkinson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) 

Lightweight Semifinal: #2 Gadzhi Rabadanov defeated #3 Michael Dufort by 2nd round KO (1:51)

Lightweight Semifinal: #1 Brent Primus defeated #4 Clay Collard via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Catchweight Showcase: Biaggio Ali Walsh defeated Brian Stapleton by 1st round KO (0:55)

Early Card Results:

Bantamweight Showcase: Danny Sabatello and Lazaro Dayron ended in majority draw (29-27.Sabatello, 28-28, 28-28)

Lightweight Alternate Bout: Mads Burnell defeated Elvin Espinoza via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Welterweight Showcase: Thad Jean defeated Chris Brown via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Featherweight Showcase: Jordan Oliver defeated Braydon Akeo by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Women’s Featherweight Showcase: Michelle Montague defeated Marilia Morais by 1st round submission (rear-naked choke 1:44) 

Following UFC 305 Win, Dricus Du Plessis Would Welcome Alex Pereira Back To Middleweight

Aug 19, 2024 

Dricus Du Plessis is not short of options following his maiden title defence at UFC 305. 

The South African successfully defended his Middleweight strap against Israel Adesanya on Saturday night, to continue his eight fight unbeaten run under the UFC banner and solidify himself at the top of the division.

After a closely contested first three rounds, Du Plessis dropped Adesanya in the fourth before pouncing on his back and locking in a rear naked choke, forcing ‘The Last Stylebender’ to tap in the fourth round. 

The first title defence is always extremely important for any champion, Du Plessis disclosed his mindset heading into the title and why it meant to so much to have his hand raised. Speaking to the media post fight, he said: 

“It was so special. And like I said, you mentioned my first successful title defence and people go, ‘Yeah, you're not a champion until you defend that belt.’ That's bullshit. You're champion when you win that belt. But I wasn't a champion walking out there tonight. Before I walk out, and I said this all week, before I walk out there, they take the belt off me.

“The winner of this fight is the champion. So nobody's a champion when that first bell goes. I went out there tonight to fight for the world title, and I became champion tonight and you can see that in the fight. I went out there to fight like somebody who wanted this belt and not somebody who defended it.”

Du Plessis revealed that the game plan was not to look to look for the submission but to render Adesanya unconscious but the way the contest played out, he saw the submission opportunity and took it. 

“I didn’t plan on taking him down, I was actually planning on knocking him out. The body positioning was just that of, the best thing to do right now is to take him down. I could feel as we went to the ground, he wasn't resisting at all. He was out of it a little, (I) got the back, as soon as I straightened him out, it was over.”

Many athletes took to social media following the bout, including former Middleweight and current Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereia, who hinted at a drop back down to 185lbs for a bout against DDP. When asked about the potential matchup, Du Plessis seemed doubtful it would happen but issued a warning to ‘Poatan’ nevertheless. 

“What I want next is whatever they give me, I have to be honest there. You know, I honestly don't think that Alex Pereira will drop down to 185. If he wants to, great, perfect but then we're going to hear the excuses. We saw Izzy stiff that man in a first round. I felt Izzy’s punching power tonight, Izzy has great timing, he's fast, he’s long and he has great combinations but I felt the power. If Izzy stiffens you like that, you do not want to be in there with me.”

UFC CEO Dana White has made no secret of the fact that Sean Strickland will be the next man to face Du Plessis however the champion believes there is another Middleweight more worthy of a shot. He said:

“Robert Whittaker deserves the shot. I think he's being done over. Whittaker beat Costa. Sean Strickland’s only saving grace is the fact that he went to a decision with me, that's it.”

Kai Kara-France Targets Alexandre Pantoja Following UFC 305 Win

Aug 20, 2024 

Kai Kara-France believes his first round stoppage win against Steve Erceg at UFC 305, should put him in line to be the next man to face Alexandre Pantoja.

The Flyweight returned to the UFC octagon last Saturday night (August 17) and stopped Erceg in the very first round of their co-main event bout and picked up a performance of the night bonus in the process. 

The bout marked his first time back in competition for 14 months, after a concussion kept him away from competing for an extended period of time. Post fight, ‘Don’t Blink’ spoke with the media and expressed his delight at not only being back to winning ways, but being back competing, He said: 

 “Yeah. It's just. I'm just proud of myself. Proud of my team. This year that I've took time away just to prioritize what's most important and that to me, you know, that's my wife and my two kids. So just being present and giving them all my attention and then when the time was right to step back into my normal setting and build for, for this fight. Just (to) be, firing on every level, physically, emotionally, spiritually and yeah, tonight just executed everything that we've been working towards in the last 12 weeks.

“It's a pretty surreal feeling and to have everything come together this week, (I) felt so calm in there tonight and definitely made a statement, don't count me out and remind everyone I'm one of the best Flyweights.”

The start of the end for Erceg came when Kara-France threw an overhand right that just fell short but as the New Zealand man immediately stepped through and landed a flush overhand left on the chin of Erceg before piling on the pressure to take the win. Reflecting on the bout, Kara-France knew he had to be wary of the traps Erceg would be trying to set up but felt that the overhand was always going to be the shot that led to the win. 

“Steve is such a crafty fighter. He's setting up traps and he's quite big and rangy for the Flyweight division, so I had to set everything up. I couldn’t just expect to win punches and think that that was going to connect and I had to listen to my corner.

“The advice from Eugene and the rest of our coaches just touch him, go to the body and set up your second phase. That first phase isn't going to be there because he's going to pull back or drift or do something to evade, but if I set it up with something and then come in and commit, I knew tonight I would land that shot.”

With the win, the 34-year-old thinks he has done enough to secure a title shot against Pantoja, who at the time of writing, is not booked for his next title defence. 

“Well, if you break down this fight, I just beat the guy that everyone thought should have been the champion.

“I just beat him in the first round. It's taking time away from the sport, coming back and making a statement with my actions. I've heard the UFC want to bring in this guy from Japan called Kai, but I'm the real Kai. This is my home. You can't just come in and think you can bang with the big dogs because you think you're good.

“It doesn't work like that. You got to earn it. I've been in this company for a while now, I fought everyone in this Flyweight division and I've told it time and time again. I'm going to let my actions be my loudest voice and I'm making noise now. So Alexandre Pantoja, I know he doesn't have a fight booked.

“I might just leapfrog my way back into a title shot. So that's how I see it happening.”

Peter Murray Looks Ahead To Huge Few Months For The PFL

Aug 23, 2024 

The PFL has appeared to grow with each passing year but 2024 has undoubtedly been the promotion’s biggest one to date. With the birth of new stars, the full crossover of the Bellator roster and brand and now, the confirmed MMA return of Francis Ngannou, PFL CEO Peter Murray has a lot on his plate right now. 

Following the first press conference between Ngannou and Renan Ferreira, Murray spoke to the media about what lies in store for the promotion over the next few months.

As always, the backbone of the PFL is always going to be the regular season format. This year saw a lot of changes because of the influx of Bellator fighters that joined the tournament brackets following the promotion’s acquisition last year. Despite many of the finals still being made up of PFL fighters, this certainly added some intrigue to the 2024 instalment which continues with the last play-offs event tonight in Washington, DC. 

"This season, with the Bellator fighters in the mix, with the top PFL fighters who have returned. I mean the fans saw the level of talent and the fights were really next level so we couldn't have been happier with the season to date, the quality of the fights and the new storylines. We're wrapping up the play-offs here in DC, these two weight classes, they're looking to punch their ticket to the championship and that's what it's all about." Murray stated.

The final regular season event, the finals itself, is currently yet to have a date and location announced. Murray went on to say that there will be news on this soon and whilst he wouldn’t reveal any additional information, he did add that it will be in a location that they haven’t run yet, hinting that they are a global promotion at the end of the day.

What is surely the biggest event in the promotion’s history to date will take place before the season finale at the Mayadeen Venue in Riyadh. Battle of the Giants boasts two massive marquee match-ups as Cris Cyborg takes on Larissa Pacheco in a great co-main event whilst in the headliner, Francis Ngannou makes his long awaited return to MMA against PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira. Main event aside, the co-feature is big enough on its own as Cyborg, who has never failed to win titles everywhere she goes, faces one of the promotion’s most successful signings. However, unsurprisingly, Ngannou is the star of the show and that was shown in the press conference.

"They're monsters! These are two amazing athletes. Francis' return to MMA, it's long awaited, it's long anticipated and you heard from him, he wants this fight and he's fighting with a greater purpose and Renan, he's the real deal. I mean 6'8'', you've seen what he's done, he knows how to finish and this is a real fight.” Murray excitingly recapped. “There's no one I've talked to in all of sports in the combat game, everyone knows this is a real fight and both of these fighters, they need this fight, they want the belt. It means a lot to Francis in terms of his continued journey and legacy as the top heavyweight MMA champion in the world and he's got some unfinished business. He's gonna finish that business or try to finish that business in this cage and this is all about the future for Renan. Cementing his name globally as the top number one heavyweight champion."

Hosting the first proper encounter between the two gigantic individuals was Jake Paul who came out to kick off proceedings, followed by a short conversation with homegrown star, Dakota Ditcheva. Murray also gave an update on Paul’s debut which, if it ends up happening in the first quarter of next year, will continue this run of massive nights for the promotion.

"2025, you heard from Jake. He's been training, he's got the SmartCage and he's training with a lot of different athletes in MMA. We're as excited as fans are but Jake is definitely working to make that debut and there are a number of MMA top fighters who want to be part of that and more to come on those details."

Alongside the PFL regular season, various other leagues like PFL Europe and PFL Mena, and not to mention the Bellator Champions Series or upcoming debut of the PPV Super Fights series on October 19, the promotion is always planning years ahead. PFL Africa is set to be the next introduction to their increasing portfolio of, as Peter Murray describes it, options for them and for the fighters. Headed by Chairman Francis Ngannou, the promotion has joined with Helios Sports & Entertainment Group in this venture which Murray hopes will have a big impact on the growing African MMA scene from the bottom grassroots level all the way to the top.

"We're just getting started I mean honestly, this company and being tied to their vision of developing the ecosystem of sports and entertainment on the continent of Africa, they're the lead investor in NBA Africa and so alongside development of other sports with other major leagues, MMA has so much growth around the planet but on the continent, starting with the development of athletes and that talent and so we're with the best in class partner to launch PFL Africa next year in 2025. It's real and at the helm we have Francis Ngannou as our Chairman so as we look at the journey of athletes, these African fighters won't have to go through the adversity and challenges that Francis and other athletes in different sports in Africa had to go through and most of them had to leave the continent of Africa to become professional so we're very excited and passionate about developing athletes on the continent and launching authentic regional leagues that are based there."

The PFL returns with PFL 9, live from The Anthem in Washington, DC where the semi-finals will take place for the featherweight and welterweight divisions. 

Words By Kyle Dimond.

Kai Kamaka III Reflects On First PFL Season ‘I Love It!’

Aug 24, 2024 

It is fair to say Kai Kamaka III has thoroughly enjoyed his first season with the PFL.

In his inaugural year with the promotion, the ‘Fighting Hawaiian’ dug deep to grind out two unanimous decision victories against Bubba Jenkins and Pedro Carvalho to secure his place in the Playoffs. Opposite him in the Smart Cage tonight (August 23) will be 2022 PFL Global Featherweight champion, Brendan Loughnane.

At just 29-years-old, Kamaka III has had a storied career, competing for many of the major global promotions including the UFC and Bellator prior to his current run with the PFL. Although fully locked in on his Playoff bout against Loughnane, the Xtreme Couture athlete described just what it would mean for him to be crowned the 2024 PFL Global Featherweight champion, not only for himself, but for others that may find their career in a similar place as he did a few years ago. He said:

“That would be awesome, just to be the number one guy in PFL. It will represent a lot of things, I think it will talk a lot on many different facets of the sport. It will help guys in free agency, it will help guys in different situations kind of look at everything. If they follow my story, if they follow Brendan’s story, they will see that you just don’t give up.”

The PFL season can see those who make it to the championship final have a tough schedule with four fights in one calendar year. For some this can be daunting but for Kamaka III, it almost makes life easier as he has a regiment in place that he must stick to. Discussing the format, he said:

“I love it. It takes (away) a lot of mental stress, from different standpoints. You don’t have to worry about your schedule, before you even step in you know when your next one is, if you win or in the season, you know when that next one is, at least the first two. It alleviates a lot of stress as far as knowing when your schedule is going to be. Especially after that first couple of weeks after a fight, (when) you’re fighting in different formats after that win or loss settles you want to get back in, which happens quick but luckily you don’t need to deal with that right now. “Unbeaten in five, Kamaka III has hit a purple patch in his career and credits it down to everything falling into place at the right time and being in the game for such a long time. He said:

"Just constant growth. Things that I have worked on, mentally physically, years prior, it is coming out now. I had a quick transition moving to Vegas and in that period of time a lot of things have happened, a lot of transitions happened with moving, then taking last minute fights, it probably wasn’t the best decision back then.

"Then yeah, just getting comfortable with the team and we are here now almost four years later to the anniversary of my UFC debut, in a main event, in Washington DC, one fight away from a title shot. You can’t go wrong with that."

Dakota Ditcheva: Right Place At The Right Time Ahead Of PFL Finals

Aug 25, 2024 

As referenced by PFL CEO Peter Murray, Dakota Ditcheva is a prime example of the promotion’s system working exactly as intended. She signed with tons of potential, showed that she had the ability to be a star by winning the PFL Europe tournament and has hit the ground running in the regular season.

Now, she is preparing for the finals where she faces her toughest opponent to date but first, she got the opportunity to stand on the PFL pedestal.

One of the biggest events in the promotion’s calendar this year was a press conference. One that would see Francis Ngannou come face-to-face with Renan Ferreira for the first time before he makes his return to MMA. Before the giants faced off, kicking the stream off was PFL partner Jake Paul who was joined on stage by Ditcheva in another symbol of just how far the promotion thinks she can go. 

“Yeah I was surprised they asked me to come to be honest but obviously, super exciting opportunity. Especially to be on stage being interviewed, that's the type of stuff I kinda want to do in the future or in the near future so I'm very lucky that I got the invite here and I hope I did alright." Ditcheva told the media in a post-press conference interview.

Alongside her getting to meet Jake in person for the first time, he was extremely complementary of her and even drew comparisons between her and Ronda Rousey in terms of her star potential. Ditcheva has heard the “Rowdy” links before and whilst there will only ever be one Rousey, Ditcheva is on her own path to becoming a major player.

"When I first started my career in MMA, when I first fought even in amateur, I had an article go viral where someone compared me to Ronda Rousey so it's not the first time that someone's said it but yeah, she was someone that I looked up to from the very beginning so it's nice to have my name mentioned alongside her."

Of course, in order to put their homegrown stars like Ditcheva in these spotlights, they need to have a stage big enough to do it and that’s exactly what the PFL debut of Francis Ngannou brings to the table. "I feel like I've definitely joined PFL at the right time, for myself and my own career, I think it was the perfect timing for me but then the way that PFL have grown recently, and all the things that they've got going on and all the people they've got coming in and on board is just amazing so I definitely feel very lucky to be in the position I am right now and I can't wait to see what happens after this season."

The former kickboxer has got that star quality and charisma that you cannot teach but in combat sports, that only gets you so far if you can’t walk the walk inside the cage. Ditcheva has certainly done that, even if she has had her fair share of detractors that believe she has been given an easy run. For her, she takes this as nothing more than jealous fighters wanting to stay relevant. Ditcheva’s stance on all the exposure she’s getting is that she would have got to this point one way or another because at the end of the day, she does her best work in the fight itself.

In arguably the most enticing clash of the PFL 2024 finals, the former PFL Europe champion will take on Taila Santos, who was a big get for the promotion having previously competed in a UFC title fight where she marginally came up short. Santos also represents the total opposite path to the finals and has been very outspoken about her Ditcheva doubts. The same can be said for the American Top Team fighter’s last opponent, Jena Bishop, who Ditcheva silenced by finishing her in the first round and then shushing her in the post-fight celebration. 

"It was mainly at Jena and her team but I feel like she took the wrap for a lot of other people as well probably. No disrespect to her now obviously but when you talk a lot of trash, I mean it's alright to talk trash in general, I feel like it's fine but when you're actually talking down on someone's journey in the spot and the fact that, ‘You've fought no one, you've only fought cans and all the girls you're fighting are rubbish', when you get personal like that, i just feel like you need to back it up and she didn't do that."

With support from the PFL fighter that, in some ways, she took the torch from as the female face of the roster in ATT teammate Kayla Harrison, Ditcheva is now set on ending any trash talk by defeating Santos and winning the million dollars. Though as of right now, duty calls back home as the 26-year-old travelled back to the UK to watch her beloved Manchester City back in action yesterday, there is nothing that can steal her focus away from getting her hand raised once again in the SmartCage.

"Nothing concerns me. Her experience is probably the only thing she's got over me. She's fought at that top level, she's done five rounds before already so I think they're the things that sets us apart but apart from that, there's nothing really. I feel like I'm still on her level, I showed that by beating Jenna in the first round, she went to a split decision so I feel like I definitely have shown that I'm capable of beating her."

"No, honestly, nothing can distract me. I know what job I have to do and I'm very performance focused in what I'm here to do. None of the media ever gets too much for me."

Caio Borralho Beats Jared Cannonier In 5 Round War At UFC Vegas 96

Aug 26, 2024 

Caio Borralho claimed his biggest scalp to date with a unanimous decision win against Jared Cannonier at UFC Vegas 96. 

In the main event, the Borralho continued his impressive run and extended his promotion record to 7-0. After a back and forth four rounds, ‘The Natural’ pushed the pace over the final stanza to claim the win. 

In the fifth and final round, Cannonier met the mat after being caught with a 1-2 straight down the middle. Borralho swarmed the ‘Killa Gorilla’ but the 40-year-old managed to survive. However, the domination from Borralho over the last 5 minutes saw him take the final round 10-8 on all three judges score cards. With the win, Borralho takes a monumental step closer to Middleweight title contention. 

In the co-main event, Tabitha Ricci likely claimed her spot in the top 10 with a unanimous decision win against Angela Hill. ‘Baby Shark’ pushed the pressure from the opening bell, with some eye catching striking throughout. 

Ryan Loder became The Ultimate Fighter at Middleweight after stopping Robert Valentin with brutal elbows. After a close first round, Loder took the fight to the floor early in the second before securing a mounted crucifix and reigned down the fight ending elbows. 

Marion Santos scored one of the most impressive victories of the night with a highlight reel knock out against Kazan Ofli in The Ultimate Fighter Featherweight finale. 

As suspected, the judges weren’t needed in the main card opener as Gerald Meerschaert submitted Edmen Shahbazyan with an arm triangle in the second round of their Middleweight contest. Shahbazyan’s striking is always a threat and almost ended the bout early in the second round when he cracked Meerschaert to the body before following it up with a flurry of strikes. ‘GM3’ was doing just enough to stop the referee from stepping in before getting back to his feet, taking the fight to the floor and cinching in a tight arm triangle. 

In a decision heavy preliminary card, there were wins for Francis Marshall, Zachary Reese, Viacheslav Borshchev, Jacqueline Cavalcanti and Wang acing. 

UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Borralho Results

• Caio Borralho defeats Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 48-46)

• Tabatha Ricci defeats Angela Hill by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

• Ryan Loder defeats Robert Valentin by TKO (elbows) at 1:49 of Round 2 in the TUF 32 Middleweight Finale

• Mairon Santos defeats Kaan Ofli by knockout (left hook) at 1:30 of Round 2 in the TUF 32 Featherweight Finale

• Michael Morales defeats Neil Magny by TKO (strikes) at 4:39 of Round 1

• Gerald Meerschaert defeats Edmen Shahbazyan by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:12 of Round 2

• Francis Marshall (30-27, 29-28) defeats Dennis Buzukja.by split decision (29-28)

• Zachary Reese defeats Jose Daniel Medina by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

• Viacheslav Borshchev (30-27, 29-28) defeats James Llontop by split decision (29-28)

• Jacqueline Cavalcanti (30-27, 29-28) defeats Josiane Nunes (30-27) by split decision

• Wang Cong defeats Victoria Leonardo by knockout (right hand) at 1:02 of Round 1