The 2023 PFL season wrapped up in Washington, D.C. on Friday night, with the 2023 PFL Championship seeing two fighters repeat as champs: Olivier Aubin-Mercier, who will now take a break from MMA and may in fact retire, and Larissa Pacheco, who became the promotion’s first two-weight class champ (155 and 145lbs). That could lead to big things for Pacheco! Plus, Tony Ferguson has his DUI case dismissed. It’s your Sunday MMA Quick Hits for November 26, 2023!
Tony Ferguson’s DUI Case Dismissed, Takes Plea Deal
UFC 296 star Tony Ferguson, who is set to throw down with Paddy Pimblett, has had a DUI charge dismissed as part of a plea deal. The misdemeanor DUI count was dismissed by a Los Angeles county court in exchange for Ferguson pleading No Contest (or nolo contendere) to a misdemeanor wet reckless driving charge.
Ferguson will serve one year of probation under the deal, agreed up by the prosecution and defense before Judge Shannon K. Cooley this past week.
MMA Junkie was first to report news of the deal. Ferguson was arrested back in May, but it does not appear to have interfered with his fighting career. Still, he’ll enter UFC 296 badly in need of a win — having dropped six straight.
Larissa Pacheco next for Bellator featherweight champ Cris Cyborg
Finally, the best women’s featherweights on the planet are all housed under one roof.
With the UFC scrapping the weight class (which they never truly built) following the retirement of Amanda Nunes, the likes of Cris Cyborg, Cat Zingano, Larissa Pacheco, Kayla Harrison, Arlene Blencowe, Aspen Ladd, and others all fall under the PFL banner — now that the company has acquired Bellator MMA.
While Kayla Harrison vs. Cris Cyborg has long been a dream fight, PFL founder Donn Davis confirmed following the PFL Championship on Friday that it’s newly crowned PFL women’s featherweight champ Larissa Pacheco who will be next for the fearsome Cyborg. That makes sense, as a PFL champions vs. Bellator champions card is planned for early 2024.
“It’s champ vs. champ,” Davis revealed during Friday’s post-fight press conference (h/t MMA Junkie). “Larissa has earned that. But will Cris then fight Kayla in 2024? One-hundred percent. That is going to happen. Cris will have two fights in 2024, Kayla will have two fights in 2024, and one of those will be Cris against Kayla. We think that Larissa has earned that.
“Once again, you have to do champ vs. champ. Cris is the champ of Bellator. Larissa is the champ here. We have to see that fight happen first. Coming out of that, you’ll see Cris Cyborg vs. Kayla Harrison as the next fight in 2024.”
Loma Lookboonmee vs. Bruna Brasil Booked for Feb. 10
A very alliterative women’s strawweight booking has been added to the UFC’s Feb. 10, 2024 Fight Night event, as Loma Lookboonmee will face Bruna Brasil.
News of the booking was first reported by MMA Fighting.
Brasil (9-3-1) is coming off a single win, while Lookboonmee (8-3) has put together back-to-back wins.
The Feb. 10 card is headlined by Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer in a middleweight match-up.
