The MMA landscape changed forever. A new era has 𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗗@PFLMMA acquires @BellatorMMA creating a 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗠𝗔 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘 pic.twitter.com/fWldsDNpPC

— PFL (@PFLMMA) November 20, 2023

The PFL has officially acquired Bellator and it means a new day has officially arrived in the MMA landscape.

Per a press release, Bellator will continue as a “reimagined brand” in 2024 with “all Bellator fighters becoming available to compete in PFL franchises.”  Exactly how this is expected to be divided is still uncertain but it does confirm that the contracts of all Bellator fighters will indeed go under the umbrella of the PFL, thus adding a significant amount of elite talent to their already respectable roster.

The Todd Atkins MMA Show first reported news of a potential sale of Bellator to the PFL earlier this year. In late October, journalist Al Zullino reported that the sale had been finalized.

PFL CEO Donn Davis announced that the Bellator brand would operate primarily outside of the US as “Bellator International Champions Series” which hints that the brand would continue their strong presence in Europe where fan reception to events has been astronomical.

Davis also announced that the plan was to host a super-event next year that would feature the Bellator champions against the PFL champions, the latter of which will be determined at their event this Friday which concludes the 2023 season.

As of this writing, it has not been established exactly which fighters will continue to anchor the Bellator brand and which will be part of the PFL vs Bellator event.  It should be noted, however, that the PFL does not currently have divisions for several of the weight classes that Bellator does such as men’s bantamweight, men’s middleweight, and women’s flyweight.  Another point to address is that it is completely possible that just because the fighters are in a division that the PFL houses it does not mean that they will fight in the PFL immediately.

Exactly where Bellator goes with their lightweight Grand Prix is unclear and has not yet been addressed.  On Friday, Alexandr Shabliy defeated Patricky “Pitbull” Freire to reach the finals of the tournament.  A week earlier, champion  Usman Nurmagomedov had his victory over Brent Primus overturned to a No Contest after testing positive for a banned substance.  What the promotion’s plan, if there was one at all with the impending merger, for the tournament going forward was not made official.  Whether there is a tournament final at all as part of the Bellator International Series has not been announced.

PFL CEO Donn Davis is scheduled to make a media appearance later today to discuss the merger.

The post PFL Officially Acquires Bellator MMA, Bellator to Continue Internationally appeared first on Cageside Press.

Will Pettis continue his reign at the top? 👊

Bantamweight champ @sergiopettis has been unstoppable under the #Bellator banner. He now faces the challenge of interim-champ @TeamMixMMA! #Bellator301 | Friday, 9pm ET / 6pm PT | @SHOsports 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/f0x9bunyza

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 15, 2023

Earlier this year, Sergio Pettis reminded everyone of who he was in the shark tank of the bantamweight division.  Coming off an injury that required a year long layoff that kept him out of the Grand Prix, Pettis returned to action earlier this year and was able to stave off the celebrated longtime featherweight champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire.  It was a seminal moment; Pettis spoiled Freire’s hopes of being a three division champion and in doing so reintroduced himself to the masses who in 2023 have been spoiled by amazing performances from bantamweights worldwide.

When Pettis entered the UFC at 20 years-old in 2013 with an undefeated record of 9-0, he was a top prospect whom many had their eye on after his celebrated older brother had soared to great heights in the sport.  After knocking on the door of title contention at flyweight, Pettis moved up to bantamweight and took the more immediate opportunities in Bellator in 2020.  It is a move that has panned out well as he added Pitbull to a resume that also boasts former UFC champion Brandon Moreno, former Bellator champions Juan Archuleta and Kyoji Horiguchi, and more.  Ahead of what could be the final Bellator event (or at least the iteration as we know it,) Pettis has an opportunity to further cement himself as the top bantamweight in the world outside of the UFC and be the centerpiece of the weight class in a new home.

Mix is coming for bantamweight gold! 🔥

Will interim-champion @TeamMixMMA dethrone @sergiopettis to become #Bellator's undisputed bantamweight king?

Find out NEXT FRIDAY live on @SHOsports 👊 #Bellator301 pic.twitter.com/6oPV1btvxi

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 8, 2023

But as respected as Pettis is, the man who could take it all from him is Patchy Mix.  Mix is in the midst of a Fighter of the Year campaign of his own after stopping the surging champion Raufeon Stots in the finals of the Grand Prix with a first round jumping knee.  The moment was a beautiful culmination of a professional career that began back in 2016 where he began tearing through the regional scene in King of the Cage and has seen Mix taste defeat only once 19 fights.  Besides the victory over Stots, Mix had also bested Magomed Magomedov, fellow prospects James Gallagher and Ricky Bandejas, and UFC veteran Albert Morales under the Bellator banner.

Friday night could be a triumphant end to one chapter and the beginning of an epic new one for Mix.  He is the one who rides more momentum behind the fashion in which he won the Grand Prix and his level of activity beforehand.  If the PFL does indeed absorb Bellator next year, then the addition of the bantamweight division is expected to be among the first of many new changes.  Should that happen and Mix be the one who is victorious, then it would be he and not Pettis whom the promotion builds the division around.  Of course, that is even assuming things get that far.  With so much uncertainty, it’s completely possible that Mix’s (or anyone else’s for that matter) contract would be dissolved and the UFC, ONE, or any other promotion could also vie for their services in free agency.

Only ONE can be UNDISPUTED! 🙌

Bantamweight champ @sergiopettis and Grand Prix winner @TeamMixMMA collide tomorrow night at the @WintrustArena. Who you got?#Bellator301 | Friday, 9pm ET / 6pm PT | @SHOsports 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/FqzTtF1rtv

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 16, 2023

Exactly where anyone goes from here in Bellator is anyone’s guess and an answer is unlikely to be provided on Friday night.  However, what is certain is that Pettis and Mix are expected to fight in 2024 and the rights to their next fights will be a huge prize for the company that gets to promote their fights.

The post Bellator 301: Pettis and Mix Collide with Big Implications for the Future appeared first on Cageside Press.

“It feels like that, as a kid going to a new school,” the now-former UFC middleweight contender told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview recently. “I’m excited. It’s a new journey, new adventure. I was with the UFC so long, things started to become repetitive. And now i have a new goal, new venture, new promotion, fresh start, and I’m ready to go out there and get it started.”

What led to Brunson’s rather sudden exit from the UFC and signing with the PFL? The veteran actually had a fight booked when news broke that he was making the jump. Brunson (23-9) touched on that without going too far into the details.

“I was with the promotion [UFC] for a long time, and I fought all the tough fights. So it was like ‘okay what are we doing here, where am I going?’ I was in a position to get title shots a couple times, and I’m not blaming anybody that I didn’t, per se, but I feel like some of my streaks deserved it. I was one two five-fight win streaks.”

With the move to the PFL comes a new weight class for Derek Brunson. The league does not have middleweight, so he’ll be heading up 20 pounds to light heavyweight.

It’s a move Brunson had considered previously, he revealed.

“I was thinking about it. The weight cuts got pretty tough, I go out there and put in tough camps, long camps, I’m in great shape and then I go out there and fade. And it’s like ‘why are we fading?’ It’s just one of those things, moving up to 205 will be better, won’t have to worry about cutting a lot of weight and I can just focus on the fight.”

Derek Brunson will make his debut against a former two-time PFL welterweight champ in Ray Cooper III, in a 185lb contest. It will likely be his last stop at 185lbs for some time; as for Cooper, Brunson is focused more on himself.

“I’m not really worried about what he brings to the table,” stated Brunson. “I feel like what I bring to the table is a lot greater. I just got to go out there and do me, have fun, and get my hand raised.”

One other fight Brunson will have his eye on come November 24 is the light heavyweight finale, given he’ll join the division next year. That’s set to be contested between Josh Silveira and Impa Kasanganay.

“Impa is one of my teammates, we’ve trained together several times, he’s fighting in the final. So yeah I’m always watching, seeing what’s going on, seeing how the division shapes up. There’s a lot, not a lot but there’s a couple steps to get to the finals next year. You gotta win your first two fights and then you gotta win your third fight and you go into the final. Just one fight at a time, get my hand raised and just keep doing it.”

Watch our full interview with new PFL athlete Derek Brunson above.

The post Derek Brunson Feels Like “A Kid Going to a New School” Ahead of PFL Debut appeared first on Cageside Press.

Two-time champion Kayla Harrison went (virtually) face-to-face with her new opponent Aspen Ladd who it was announced was replacing Julia Budd last week.  While the other featherweights on the call had plenty to say to each other, Ladd and Harrison were cordial and never met in a war of words during the call.

Harrison, who will be making her first appearance of 2023, took the time to explain what the last twelve months outside of the cage has been like for her after having been an active competitor going back to her time as an Olympic hopeful.  An outspoken survivor of sexual abuse, Harrison has recently used her platform on social media to bring attention back to her book Fighting Back and to promote her charitable organization, The Fearless Foundation, which helps survivors of sexual abuse.

“I also believe that everything happens for a reason and I’ve been given this platform for a reason. To not use it to make a difference in the world would be a crime.  So I do want to shine a light on what child sexual abuse is. I do want to help make a difference in people’s lives and I do want to help kids not only survive but thrive and overcome. I want them to know most importantly that they’re not alone.”

Also on the call was lightweight standout Clay Collard who missed the last call where he would have been opposite defending champion Olivier Aubin-Mericier ahead of the final.  Collard, who had been eliminated from the playoffs last year, discussed the opportunity to be the one to hand Aubin-Mercier his first loss in the PFL cage.

“I just gotta be me man.  I’ve been calling it since the beginning of the year that it was going to be me and him in the finals. I’ve got my eye on him. I’ve got him figured out and I think I’m the man to beat him. I’ve just gotta be me.”

Kicking off the conversation were featherweight rivals Bubba Jenkins and Chris Wade who will meet for the third time in their careers.  The pair have split their first two meetings with Wade winning their first matchup in 2021 while Jenkins eliminated Wade from the tournament in their meeting last year.  Jenkins in particularly wasted little time in stoking the flames for the trilogy in stating:

“I’m completely focused on (Wade) for this fight.  Next time you all want to do an interview with us together maybe call me after he’s done because I can not stand hearing this dude’s voice talk.  He is a terrible interview and this is dry and I’m already ready to go to sleep.”

The PFL World Championships will take place on November 24 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

The post Highlights From the 2023 PFL Championships Featherweight Conference Call appeared first on Cageside Press.

Ladd (11-4) spoke to Cageside Press in the days following the switch, explaining that she was “very excited” to face Harrison, seen for years as the face of the PFL. “Basically on edge last Friday, we got the call late Friday night, it got confirmed whenever the news broke, a day, day and a half ago,” stated Ladd.

When it comes to the situation — the PFL issued a statement saying Budd had not fulfilled her contractual obligations and later released the featherweight, while Budd herself told Cageside Press she was ready to fight — “we weren’t told anything. Just that her manager, I think her manager and her husband are the same person, I could be wrong but I’m not sure— just that according to him, communicating with PFL, that they were 50/50 that they were pulling out of the fight,” Ladd explained. “That’s when they contacted us on Friday night. So that’s all we were told, I just assumed injury. You usually do — ‘oh, something happened, she got hurt.'”

There’s no doubt more to the story (PFL officials declined to elaborate on the situation beyond their original statement when reached for comment by Cageside Press), but none of that is likely to matter much to Aspen Ladd, who now has a big opportunity in front of her. As it turns out, she had been training as a back-up for the fight, but come the end of October, had believed her services would not be required.

“It was actually til the end of October, they basically told me to stay ready for this particular fight in case something was to happen.” After a certain point, Ladd had the option to take another fight in another discipline.

Then came the call to fight Harrison at a 150lb catchweight. Which was not a request on Ladd’s part, she added. “So when they called on Friday, PFL offered it at that [weight] immediately, and I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. We were preparing to make 145 on that date just in case but if you don’t have to, why not? Not something we asked for but it was a gift that was given.”

Aspen Ladd’s struggles to make weight in the UFC were well-documented; comparatively speaking, she has breezed through her PFL contests thus far.

“It’s been less than a year and I’ve made 45 four times and I’m healthy. I’m healthy and I’m able to do it again,” she pointed out. “Not having to recover from horrendous weight cuts every time is huge on just being able to fight more often and enjoying life more.”

Come November 24 in Washington, D.C. at the PFL Championship, Aspen Ladd is expecting to see a motivated Kayla Harrison. Especially coming off a loss a year ago to Larissa Pacheco.

“I would expect her to come out with more urgency honestly. You’re trying to get that back, get rid of the bad taste in your mouth kind of thing. I would expect her to come out wanting to do that, wanting to right her last wrong basically. I could be wrong, that could just be me, but that’s what I would expect to be a little different with her.”

Regardless, Ladd is ready to take on the face of the company. “She’s been the golden girl, the queen of this promotion forever. It’s different because of the way it works here with belts, tournaments but she’s still the face of it. She’s a very accomplished, great record. So yeah, it’s a big fight.”

Watch our full interview with PFL featherweight Aspen Ladd above.

The post Aspen Ladd Expecting Kayla Harrison to Have Some Urgency at PFL Championship appeared first on Cageside Press.

Jon Jones will go down in history as one of the most dominant talents the sport of mixed martial arts has ever seen.  But with respect to his body of work, the man at the top of the summit in the heavyweight division is likely to be the winner of the UFC 295 co-main event this Saturday.

His hands are lethal and he's coming for the Interim Heavyweight belt this Saturday! 👊@SPavlovich13 is looking to add another knockout to his resume at #UFC295 pic.twitter.com/7WViO15RPA

— UFC (@ufc) November 8, 2023

The 31 year-old Sergei Pavlovich has given everything a fan can ask for over the past several years.  The Russian native went a perfect 12-0, winning and defending the Fight Nights Global title in his home country, before he was signed to the UFC at just 26 years-old.  The next big thing, quite literally though we didn’t know it yet, was given no gift in being assigned to face the former K1, Strikeforce, and DREAM kickboxing champion Alistair Overeem.  To date, the fight is the only loss for Pavlovich as the more established veteran was able to return to the win-column in a bout that Pavlovich admitted he did not perform up to par.

Since then, the Russian powerhouse has needed less than five minutes in his next six consecutive bouts to stop his opponents.  Reading like a murderer’s row of sluggers, Pavlovich has added names such as all-time UFC knockout leader Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, Shamil Abdurakhimov, Maurice Greene, and most recently perennial title threat Curtis Blaydes.  Along the way, Pavlovich has earned the respect and admiration of the UFC brass and fans alike.  Earlier this year, he was the backup fighter assigned to the vacant title fight between Jones and Ciryl Gane and was going to be the backup fighter again prior to both Jones and Stipe Miocic being removed from the card.  While a UFC title has not been added to his resume yet, it’s difficult to deny that Pavlovich has not established himself as the best performing heavyweight of today.

The last time he was in the Octagon he finished his opponent in just over a minute 👊@AspinallMMA is back this Saturday at #UFC295 and is looking for another show stopping finish! pic.twitter.com/cimNhAxmvz

— UFC (@ufc) November 8, 2023

Similar things could be said of the newest face of UK MMA: Tom Aspinall.  A noticeable notch more reserved than his mentor Michael Bisping, Aspinall is the latest Englishman to take the torch from “The Count” as a next generation star for the UK that the UFC believes could help anchor events overseas.  He has done just that in the past two years; the UFC’s belief in Aspinall is such that he has been the main event for three straight events at London’s O2 Arena.  It has been well earned, he has needed a little less time in the cage than Pavlovich to record victories over veterans such as Alexander Volkov, Serghei Spivac, and Jake Collier.  The 30 year-old is a highly regarded prospect who has his home country behind him, but he could cross the threshold to bonafide superstardom with a seminal victory over the vaunted Pavlovich.

While Aspinall’s star may be higher considering the fan reception to his events (his headliner last March was considered the top event of 2022), he is the one who has been dealt the more difficult hand.  The Englishman suffered a brutal knee injury last year that sidelined him nearly twelve months.  While he bounced back in superb fashion against Marcin Tybura in July, he is the one who has had the least amount of time to prepare.  While Pavlovich was training to be a potential backup, Aspinall was scheduled to simply enjoy the show when he received the call a little less than three weeks ago to fight for the interim title.  Should he leave Madison Square Garden with a victory, it would be a huge moment for not only himself but also for the sport in the UK to bring another UFC title back to the country.

Budding stars collide for the Interim HW title in our co main event 🏆@SPavlovich13 vs @AspinallMMA#UFC295 | SATURDAY | Live on ESPN+ PPV pic.twitter.com/NprRURVMaC

— UFC (@ufc) November 10, 2023

It is expected that the winner will wait to see if they can entice undisputed champion Jon Jones into a unification bout, despite Dana White’s comments that Jones will still face Stipe Miocic upon his return.  If the Jones fight doesn’t materialize for the winner, then the surging Jailton Almeida stands out as a possible opponent as does former interim champion Ciryl Gane.  While Pavlovich or Aspinall will have the word interim attached to their championship title, the body of work they have provided are more than a fair argument that the winner deserves to call themselves the best heavyweight in the UFC.  2024 will be about them putting a stranglehold on such a moniker.

The post UFC 295: Pavlovich vs Aspinall to Crown the Best Heavyweight? appeared first on Cageside Press.

Looking to regain the LHW throne Saturday night 🏆@Jiri_BJP will make the final walk of the night at #UFC295 pic.twitter.com/Av4ShOmpEU

— UFC (@ufc) November 8, 2023

The last time we saw Jiri Prochazka, he had just recorded a seminal triumph to win the light-heavyweight title.  After a back-and-forth war for the ages, Prochazka finally outlasted champion Glover Teixeira to secure a fifth round submission; a result most specifically did not expect from him.  In doing so, Prochazka completed his journey from regional shows in the Czech Republic, to claiming gold in Japan under the RIZIN banner, to finally winning the UFC title in just his third bout inside the Octagon.  If the western audience was unfamiliar with him, then he quickly became the new favorite fighter of many fans as they found his resume not only included Teixeira but also the likes of former title challengers Dominick Reyes, Volkan Oezdemir, reigning Bellator champion Vadim Nemkov, and more.

Misfortune would ruin his plans as a shoulder injury that UFC President Dana White said was the “worst (UFC) doctors had ever seen” pulled him from his first title defense, sidelined him for eleven months and lead him to vacate the belt.  While Prochazka was hopeful for a quick return, the hope of the public is that the extended layoff has allowed him to rehabilitate his injury to the point that he will be close to the version we have become familiar with over the past several years.  If he is, then he presents an even more deadly challenge for his opponent at UFC 295 on Saturday.  If he still remains a ways off that mark, then it could make the fight a much more competitive bout.

The power of Poatan is DIFFERENT 🏹@AlexPereiraUFC is fighting for the Light Heavyweight Title this Saturday at #UFC295 pic.twitter.com/5gVUAZX2Xv

— UFC (@ufc) November 8, 2023

For Alex Pereira, the move up to 205 pounds has presented a fresh landscape ripe with new opportunities.  His popularity has skyrocketed since stopping former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya last year.  Now at light-heavyweight, he is able to explore and compete without being tied to “The Last Stylebender” at every turn.  It was apparent earlier this July as he returned to the win-column with a victory over former champion Jan Blachowicz.  It was a key victory in his development as it saw the former kickboxing champion exercise his defensive grappling and test his power against a bigger and stronger opponent than he was used to in MMA.

If there was a knock on Pereira’s performance in July, it was that it appeared his vaunted power did not follow him up to his new weight class.  Following stoppages of current champion Sean Strickland and Adesanya, fans began to expect the engine of destruction every time out.  While he had moments where he pummeled Blachowicz in July, the touch of death he seemingly possessed at middleweight did not show itself.  That could prove to be an important factor; Pereira is not known for being a high volume striker who darts in and out with great speed.  If he finds himself in a firefight on Saturday, he will have less of a margin for error if he is to outgun his opponent for the victory.

Intensity at an all time high for this LHW title fight 🏆🗽@Jiri_BJP vs @AlexPereiraUFC#UFC295 | SATURDAY | Live on ESPN+ PPV pic.twitter.com/s7x7EroCXT

— UFC (@ufc) November 10, 2023

The necessities of the UFC schedule will determine what the winner does next.  While the ideal situation would be to see the winner fight Jamahal Hill upon his return, “Sweet Dreams” is expected to take as much time as necessary to return in peak form.  Should Hill not be ready and the UFC needs the light-heavyweight title to headline a card, then it’s possible the winner fights another top contender such as Magomed Ankalaev or Johnny Walker.

The post UFC 295: Power Will Reign Supreme in Prochazka vs. Pereira appeared first on Cageside Press.

5-0 in the Octagon, finished ALL of his opponents 😳@Malhadinho_UFC is ready for Derrick Lewis next at #UFCSP! pic.twitter.com/RKLEaoxey1

— UFC (@ufc) October 30, 2023

At UFC Sao Paulo, the stage feels set for another of the heavyweight divisions most talented up-and-comers.  Jailton Almeida, after a respectable 13-2 record, entered the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021 and has delivered on the enormous promise he showed on the regional and grappling scenes.  The 32 year-old “Malhadinho” hasn’t seen the third round yet in the Octagon in a blinding five fight run that most recently saw him win his first UFC headliner earlier this year.  In a division loaded with heavy hitters, Almeida’s grappling attack is a change of pace that fans and pundits alike have recognized.

On Saturday, Almeida has been granted a seemingly strong hand.  Originally set to face the multi-faceted perennial contender Curtis Blaydes, an injury led to a replacement opponent in “The Black Beast.”  On top of having an abbreviated camp, many would argue that Almeida’s new opponent is also stylistically a better match up for him.  If that wasn’t enough, Almeida also gets the luxury of not having to travel as far as he is fighting in his home country where he will also enjoy being the crowd favorite when the match begins.  Finally, the timing of the bout can’t be overstated as Almeida gets the main event spotlight just a week before the interim title in his division will be contested for and thus could put him in the conversation to compete for it.

The current record for most knockouts in the UFC is held by Derrick Lewis with 14. 😵@TheBeast_UFC is back in the Octagon this Saturday at #UFCSP! Will he make history and make it 15??

[ 9pmET / 6pmPT | Live on ESPN+ ] pic.twitter.com/jcMkdZgmiz

— UFC (@ufc) October 31, 2023

Though he has downplayed the situation, one can only assume that Derrick Lewis is dealing with the distraction of his legal woes.  Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Lewis had been arrested for reckless driving less than two weeks out from the fight.  While he is scheduled to appear in court on December 27, he will also now need to tune out the distraction.  However much it is truly affecting him, only he knows.

Going into his last fight, “The Black Beast” might have felt his back against the wall.  Lewis had dropped three consecutive fights by knockout to several elite contenders and while his spot in the UFC might have been safe, his time amongst the elite might have been over.  As it would turn out, it made his fight against Rogerio de Lima all the more electrifying.  Lewis came out of the gate with a jumping knee and followed up for a quick and emphatic knockout that brought the fans to their feet in Salt Lake City.  One could argue he is playing with house money by stepping up on short notice.  While becoming another victim of Almeida may be disheartening, the opportunity to take out the rising star and get back into the title conversation is well worth the risk.

Should Almeida emerge victorious at UFC Sao Paulo, one could make the argument that he should challenge the winner of Serghei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall and treat them as the undisputed champion in 2024 regardless of where Jon Jones may be.  If the parties involved decide to wait for the UFC to make decisions with the belt, then a bout with former interim champion Ciryl Gane may make more sense.  Should Lewis leave Brazil with the victory, a rematch with Gane or a bout with Aspinall (should Aspinall be victorious) make the most sense given his resume and history against most of the ranked opposition at heavyweight.

The post UFC Sao Paulo: Almeida Looks to Continue Ascent as Lewis Battles Uncertainty appeared first on Cageside Press.

#OnThisDay in 2021, @Tyson_Fury concluded his trilogy with Deontay Wilder 🤫 pic.twitter.com/hXx7Aepblf

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 9, 2023

If there’s one knock on boxing, it’s how often the business side of things keeps the fights that the fans want from happening.  The examples are plentiful: the time it took for Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao was far too long and the hurdles that took place to make Terrence Crawford against Errol Spence Jr were annoying, just to name two.

Tyson Fury is no stranger to these problems.  “The Gypsy King” is the unquestioned superstar of the heavyweight division and is one of the top talents in the world today.  But two of the biggest fights that could be made involving him have been troublesome to make.  A bout with fellow UK star Anthony Joshua has been troublesome to make due to timing and the two competing for different networks.  More recently, a title unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk has led to a rift with the fans as long negotiations fell apart for the fight.  In short, fans clamor to see Fury fight the other stars of the division at a time when he’s at the height of his powers.  But instead, they feel as if they are forced to settle for a lesser product due to the business of boxing.

His fight with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou comes at an interesting time.  Arguably, business for the top fighters in the world and the Fury family specifically has never been bigger.  Fury’s younger brother Tommy has dispatched the two top stars of Influencer boxing back-to-back and is building a legacy all his own.  In boxing, Saudi Arabia has made a concerted effort to bring more sporting events to the country and that has led to bigger paydays.  Fury himself is a big beneficiary as he is now in talks to have back-to-back fights in Riyadh with agreements to potentially fight Usyk in December should he emerge unscathed on Saturday.  On paper, he is the heavy favorite.  He is the one who ended the reign of Vladimir Klitschko and the run of Deontay Wilder.  He is on an undefeated streak of his own and is the lineal champion who carries the torch in the sport’s storied history.  So big a star is he and so certain are the powers that be of his skills that he has already agreed to terms for a fight with Usyk later this year or early next year to unify the heavyweight boxing title of the world. At a time when boxing has never had more going on, 2023 could be the year of Fury.  But it will ask him to once again prove just how special he can really be.

The 𝓒𝓸𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 of @Francis_Ngannou 👑

[ #UFC270 | Jan 22 | @HondaCenter | Tickets 🔗 https://t.co/0noMO5S0Td ] pic.twitter.com/iIA6PTIwKC

— UFC (@ufc) December 13, 2021

Francis Ngannou’s story is a long one, perhaps far too long to tell here.  But the short version going into Saturday is this: After a life that has seen plenty of hardship before reaching worldwide acclaim through the UFC, he gambled on himself by leaving the worldwide leader in order to pursue greater paydays and opportunities.  This week, he has a chance to complete a Cinderella story of unprecedented proportions.  He left millions on the table to fight Jon Jones in the UFC, and it paid off as he will make even more for the fight with Fury.  That is not to mention the great amount from the PFL that could eventually rival or even outdo the UFC between fight purses and his salary as the President of Fighter Operations for their expansion into Africa.  If it was just about cold hard cash, then Ngannou has won the game.  If it is about legacy, then one could argue he could win it all there on Saturday after leaving the UFC as a champion and then defeating the generationally great heavyweight champion.

It would be easy to say that Francis Ngannou has nothing to lose, is playing with house money, etc.  Perhaps that is widely true; his biggest loss on Sunday may only be to his ego and in the eyes of the greater pure boxing loving public.  But in sports, immortality is often down to wins and losses.  The elephant in the room may always be what would have happened if he fought Jon Jones in the UFC.  In MMA, at least for the moment, there is no consolation prize that would rival ending the win-streak of the greatest of all-time.  Monetarily, as stated earlier, Ngannou has already won the fight.  But if the business of the sport indeed sends the Jones fight into the ether forever, then having that signature victory over Fury is his best chance to etch himself into the history books in regards to competition.

SOMEBODY IS GOING TO SLEEP.#FuryNgannou | https://t.co/2heUqaYy86 pic.twitter.com/LqfnU2dSey

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 27, 2023

Should Francis Ngannou do what no one has done before, then it would be impossible not to imagine an immediate rematch being made.  Moreover, it would immediately go onto the 2024 schedule as the must-watch combat sports event of the year.  Should Fury win the Battle of the Baddest, he is already scheduled to face Oleksandr Usyk as early as this December.  Ngannou, barring an upset victory, is already set to return to MMA next year where it’s expected that he will fight the 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament winner.  Considering that Saudi Arabia has invested in the company and will be bringing events to the country in 2024, it’s expected that his promotional debut will be stacked as a groundbreaking event that could also feature Jake Paul and more of the biggest non-UFC stars in the sport.

The post Francis Ngannou Looks to Add to Cinderella Story Against Brilliant Tyson Fury appeared first on Cageside Press.

Budd (17-6), a former Bellator MMA women’s featherweight champion, will be taking on two-time PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison in Washington, D.C. next month. It’s a fight fans have been awaiting since Budd’s arrival in the promotion, and one that was scheduled once previously, only to fall through due to injury.

“I was super-excited. When they told me, kind of end of August, I was just, like, yes!” Budd told Cageside Press in a recent exclusive interview, asked about getting the booking a second time. “Because I wasn’t sure if they were going to give it to maybe Aspen [Ladd] or somebody else. They were mentioning it, I had seen Ray [Sefo] mentioning that there were a couple potential opponents, and I was asking for it since my last fight. So I was excited.”

“I’m just super-excited that I’m in awesome shape, I’m ready to go and get in there,” Budd added.

A lot has changed since Budd and Harrison were first scheduled to face off in July of 2022. Budd was forced out of the PFL season last year, and failed to make the playoffs in 2023. Shockingly, Harrison was dethroned by Larissa Pacheco last year, and has not competed since.

On the plus side, Julia Budd is picking up right where she left on in terms of preparing for her fellow world champ.

“I think that it was almost starting back where we left off. I was getting some amazing work in down in Seattle with some great wrestling coaches and jiu-jitsu coaches and just training with the team down here for that first fight that was supposed to happen. So it’s been cool because we kind of just started back and things were going really well last year, so yeah just kind of started back,” she noted. Budd added that the situation is similar to a “school assignment that just kind of starts back. The ball starts rolling again. It felt good.”

With Harrison being out so long, the time off could also be a factor, Budd acknowledged.

“It’ll be interesting to see how she deals with it. I’m expecting the very best version of herself. But you never know, because she was do dominant up until the last fight with Pacheco.”

Ahead of the 2023 PFL Championship, rumors continue to swirl that the league may buy up rival Bellator MMA. Having competed for both companies, Budd is looking forward to facing some of the talent she didn’t get to meet in Bellator during her stint there.

“Excited. Some of those fights, it was disappointing to leave Bellator knowing I didn’t get to fight some of the girls they obviously were building but also signing,” Budd admitted. “I would have loved to fight Cat [Zingano], I would have loved to fight Leah McCourt. I would have loved to have a rematch with [Cris] Cyborg. That was one of the reasons to stay with Bellator, like ‘hey is that on the table, that opportunity?'”

At the same time, Budd doesn’t want to see Bellator go away. “I hope Bellator sticks around because it’s an awesome organization.”

Watch our full interview with PFL featherweight Julia Budd above.

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