Daniel Pineda (28–13) is out of the PFL 2019 finals. The featherweight, who failed a drug test stemming from the league’s playoffs in October, had his case before the NSAC put over to January at a hearing in Nevada on Wednesday.

Per a report by MMA Fighting, Pineda will be replaced by Alex Gilpin, the highest seed in the post-season, in New York City at the end of the month.

Pineda had previously addressed the positive drug test on social media. “Damn..I guess them d*ck pills finally caught up to me… lol #commission For the record no “steroids” or drugs were found in my system!”

However, MMA Fighting’s report notes that the failed drug test uncovered a T/E ratio (testosterone to epitestosterone) above the allowed threshold. With the case put over, Pineda’s provisional suspension was extended. Which means he cannot compete in New York City on New Year’s Eve, and loses out on a chance at a million dollars.

That’s nothing compared to fellow PFL fighter Alex Nicholson (14-9), however. The former UFC athlete, who has been a popular enough figure as a heavyweight in the Professional Fighters League, had the book thrown at him Wednesday. Except it never actually hit him, given he failed to appear for the hearing.

‘The Spartan’ failed a drug test for three banned steroids — drostanolone, nandrolone and trenbolone. That, coupled with his failure to appear resulted in the NSAC going the route of an enhanced sanction resulting in a four year suspension, and a fine of $15,000 (60% of his purse) plus fees.

Nicholson’s last bout came at PFL 9 2019, where he was defeated by Francimar Barroso in quarterfinal action. It looks like it may be the 29-year old’s last fight for a while.

The post Alex Nicholson Banished Four Years by NSAC, Daniel Pineda Case Carried Over to 2020 appeared first on Cageside Press.

A grudge match between former UFC fighters Alex Nicholson and Francimar Barroso was one of the more promising pairings to adorn the PFL 9 2019 card. The quarterfinal fight was a rematch from their regular season meeting, and promised fireworks.

It certainly delivered.

Barroso fired off a leg kick early, and was wary of Nicholson’s power. He’d then get the fight to the ground, but Nicholson did a good job battling out of that particular spot. And while Nicholson’s power was a threat, it was Barroso who clipped Nicholson with a right after Nicholson escaped the takedown! ‘The Spartan’ was hurt, and Barroso kept up the attack. Nicholson fired a kick, but Barroso wobbled him with another punch, then followed him to the ground, eventually working his way to the back. Nicholson somehow made it back up, clinching and firing a knee. Barroso fired an elbow.

A short right sunned Nicholson again, but Nicholson clipped Barroso moments later, then moved in with a flying knee! The knee missed, and they wound up down by the fence. Barroso was bleeding from a cut by the eye, while the pair grappled by the cage. A Nicholson knee then landed low, followed by one upstairs before the ref could move in to pause the action.

When the action resumed Barroso immediately went for a takedown, but Nicholson scrambled free. Barroso landed a right, but Nicholson continued walking him down. Nicholson was on the hunt, eating whatever Barroso threw at him. Like a shark sensing blood, Nicholson kept moving forward, despite Barroso swinging for the fences. By the end of the round, however, both men remained standing.

Round two opened with another low blow, once again by Nicholson, who slipped while delivering a kick. After resuming, Nicholson almost immediately landed low with yet another kick, although this time, it appeared to hit thigh more than anything. Still, a point was deducted, putting Nicholson in a tough spot. Nicholson went on the attack immediately, with Barroso egging him on. Barroso would then catch Nicholson with a right, dropping him! Nicholson powered up under fire, but Barroso picked him up and slammed him! Nicholson would survive, trying to scramble free, throwing a punch in the process. Barroso, however, remained in control, until Nicholson latched on with a kimura. Unable to finish or use it to sweep, Nicholson bought time, then tried to sink in a choke from bottom. No dice there either, and they’d run out of time.

Thanks to the point deduction, what would have been a majority draw resulted in a unanimous decision win for Barroso, who moves on to face fellow UFC alum Jared Rosholt in the semifinals.

Official Result: Francimar Barroso def. Alex Nicholson by unanimous decision (20-17, 19-18, 19-18)

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The Professional Fighters League was set to return for Halloween, with the third and final playoff event of the season, PFL 9 2019. There were no scares on the scales Thursday, however. With heavyweights and light heavyweights making up the card, all fighters made weight for the event.

Among the match-ups in the quarterfinal round, Alex Nicholson was set to rematch Francimar Barroso at heavyweight. The pair had originally met at PFL 3 2019, part of the regular reason. That time out, Barroso earned a unanimous decision win. Nicholson, however, had been pining for a rematch ever since.

Also in action, light heavyweight Vinny Magalhaes, a finalist last year who came up short against Sean O’Connell. He’ll be looking to earn his way into the million dollar finals once again, against Rashid Yusupov in the quarterfinals.

Winning fighters, of course, will be fighting twice in a night on Halloween.

Check below for full results for PFL 9 2019, plus a gallery of highlights from Thursday’s weigh-in.

PFL 9 2019 Weigh-In Results:

Light Heavyweight: Emiliano Sordi (205.8) vs Sigi Pesaleli (204.8)
Light Heavyweight: Bozigit Ataev (205.0) vs. Viktor Nemkov (206.0)
Light Heavyweight: Maxim Grishin (205.4) vs. Jordan Johnson (205.4)
Light Heavyweight: Vinny Magalhaes (205.0) vs. Rashid Yusupov (204.4)
Heavyweight: Kelvin Tiller (266.0) vs. Ali Isaev (264.4)
Heavyweight: Muhammed DeReese (248.2) vs. Jared Rosholt (254.0)
Heavyweight: Denis Golstov (239.0) vs. Satoshi Ishii (230.6)
Heavyweight: Alex Nicholson (234.6) vs. Francimar Barroso (228.6)

The post PFL 9 2019 Weigh-In Results: Final Playoff Event Official appeared first on Cageside Press.

The PFL’s final regular season show has come and gone, and the playoff brackets are set for the big men. PFL 6 2019 saw heavyweight and light heavyweights throw down, with a number of big finishes. Alex Nicholson, after losing his first fight of the season to Francimar Barosso, was among the big winners, knocking out Zeke Tuinei-Wily in the first round. That sets up a rematch with Barosso in the post season.

Vinny Magalhaes also got back in the win column in a big way, and into the post-season. Magalheas submitted Rakim Cleveland in just under two minutes to earn six points, and ensure he’ll have a shot at a million dollars, should he make it through the playoffs.

Full results and standings are below, as well as a gallery of highlights from PFL 2019 Week 6!

PFL 6 2019 Results:

Main Card (ESPN+)

Heavyweight: Jared Rosholt def. Satoshi Ishii by unanimous decision decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Light Heavyweight: Vinny Magalhaes def. Rashid Cleveland by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 1:56
Light Heavyweight: Viktor Nemkov def. Rashid Yusupov by unanimous decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Heavyweight: Ali Isaev def. Carl Seumanutafa by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Light Heavyweight: Maxim Grishin def. Mikhail Mokhnatkin by knockout, Round 1, 0:48
Heavyweight: Muhammed DeReese def. Valdrin Istrefi by TKO, Round 1, 2:06
Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov def. Sidemar Honorio by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Heavyweight: Francimar Barroso def. Ben Edwards by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary Card (ESPN2)

Heavyweight: Denis Goltsov def. Kelvin Tiller by submission (neck crack), Round 2, 3:40
Light Heavyweight: Emiliano Sordi def. Bozigit Ataev by knockout, Round 1, 1:22
Heavyweight: Alex Nicholson def. Zeke Tuinei-Wily by TKO, Round 1, 3:07
Light Heavyweight: Jordan Johnson def. Sigi Pesaleli by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Atlantic City, NJ — It’s been a rocky road for former UFC athlete Alex Nicholson heading to the PFL 2019 post-season. Last year, ‘The Spartan’ was knocked out of the playoffs by Josh Copeland, who would go on to compete in the finals. Opening up the current regular season, Nicholson was taken to the scorecards by Fancimar Barosso, and wound up on the wrong side of a decision, in a fight that saw him nearly finish his fellow UFC alum.

At PFL 6 2019 on Thursday in Atlantic City, Nicholson corrected course. He’d predicted a first round finish against Zeke Tuinei-Wily, and got just that. “If I tell you something it’s the truth,” he told reporters including Cageside Press afterward. “I can’t let my friends, family, and fans down. I can’t let the press down.”

Recapping the fight, Nicholson said that “I hit him with a nice kick to the liver. I kept my distance, I didn’t rush it, he’s a big dangerous strong guy, as all us heavyweights are at this level. I faked another body shot, he didn’t want to feel it, then I cracked him with that right hand to the jaw.” Bob’s your uncle. Tuinei-Wily went down, Nicholson swarmed.

Now, it’s on to the post-season, and a rematch with Barosso. “If there was anybody on the roster I wouldn’t want to fight, it would be myself,” said Nicholson. “But Francimar, he’s got to see me again. He didn’t even want to come to the press conference to talk about it. I think if he was here right now, we’d see it all over his face. I was one punch away from finishing that guy, and I’m going to make sure that punch is delivered in October. Trick or Treat boy.”

It’s the ideal playoff pairing for Nicholson, given how the fight went earlier this year. “He hurt my rib, and I’m ready to break his face. I don’t play games. He was efficient, he did what he had to do. He’s a smart fighter.” But that said, “we all know he’s going to try to hold me on the ground,” Nicholson added. “He’s not going to be able to do that. I’m going to be in there, I’m going to be healthy, I’m going to be 100%, I’m going to be vicious, strong, I’m going to be fast, and I’m going to whup his ass.”

Having been through the playoff format once before, Nicholson knows what to expect. But he doesn’t really see much difference either way. “Every fight’s just another fight. Whether we get in a fight at the gas station, or locked in a cage in front of millions of people, I’m fighting for my life. That’s how serious I take it. Some guys say it’s just a sport, some guys say it’s just a fight, but I’m trying to get through the night. Sorry I’ve got to keep rhyming, but that’s just how it is.”

“I take it very serious, now especially [since] I’ve got a little boy,” he added. Family has become a huge motivator for him. And this is how he supports them. “Before I was making big cheques, I was fighting twice a month just to pay my rent. How many guys can say that? A lot of guys are professional fighters, but they have another job. So you’re not really a professional fighter. You have a different job, and this is a hobby. This isn’t a hobby, I made it my life, and I take it very seriously.”

As for the two fights in one night during the playoffs, “all two fights in one night does is excite me. I love this, I live for this. Its pretty obvious I could have gone again tonight.” In the end, Alex Nicholson added, “it’s a savage life, it’s a savage sport, and I like to do savage things.”

Watch the full PFL 6 2019 post-fight press scrum with Alex Nicholson above!

The post PFL 6 2019’s Alex Nicholson: Fighters with Jobs Aren’t Professional Fighters, It’s a Hobby appeared first on Cageside Press.

A pair of heavyweights looking to earn their first points of the PFL 2019 season collided early at PFL 2019 Week 6 on Thursday. Alex Nicholson and Zeke Tuinei-Wily had both lost their first fight of the season, making a win in Atlantic City, where the final regular season event was held, crucial. Or better yet, a finish.

Early on, these two heavyweights traded blows, with nothing landing clean initially. Tuinei-Wily attempted a clinch, but Nicholson broke free. Tuinei-Wily would catch a kick, again looking to change things up. Again, Nicholson broke free. He would wind up trapped by the fence briefly, but broke free, and later landed a flurry. Nicholson switched stances a moment, and walked Tuinei-Wily before feigning a spinning attack. A big kick from Nicholson followed, connecting to the body, then a lunging right hand put Tuinei-Wily. A couple of follow-up strikes sealed the deal, and Nicholson had the early finish. A huge six points, ensuring Alex Nicholson would be appearing in the PFL 2019 post-season. Another big finish for ‘The Spartan!’

Alex Nicholson def. Zeke Tuinei-Wily by TKO, Round 1, 3:07

The post PFL 6 2019 Results: Alex Nicholson Drops Zeke Tuinei-Wily Early appeared first on Cageside Press.

The sixth and final show of the PFL 2019 regular season went down Thursday night at the Oceans Resort and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. Featuring the second fights for both light heavyweights and heavyweights, names like Satoshi Ishii and Kelvin Tiller would loom large at heavyweight. Vinny Magalhaes and Maxim Grishin were among the names at light heavyweight, meanwhile. And as an added bonus, the return of Umar Nurmagoemdov was also set, in a bantamweight clash with Sidemar Honorio. A cousin of UFC champ Khabib, the undefeated Umar is a hot prospect at the moment, with a 10-0 record.

PFL 6 2019 Results:

Main Card (ESPN+)

Heavyweight: Jared Rosholt def. Satoshi Ishii by unanimous decision decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Light Heavyweight: Vinny Magalhaes def. Rashid Cleveland by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 1:56
Light Heavyweight: Viktor Nemkov def. Rashid Yusupov by unanimous decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Heavyweight: Ali Isaev def. Carl Seumanutafa by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Light Heavyweight: Maxim Grishin def. Mikhail Mokhnatkin by knockout, Round 1, 0:48
Heavyweight: Muhammed DeReese def. Valdrin Istrefi by TKO, Round 1, 2:06
Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov def. Sidemar Honorio by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Heavyweight: Francimar Barroso def. Ben Edwards by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary Card (ESPN2)

Heavyweight: Denis Goltsov def. Kelvin Tiller by submission (neck crack), Round 2, 3:40
Light Heavyweight: Emiliano Sordi def. Bozigit Ataev by knockout, Round 1, 1:22
Heavyweight: Alex Nicholson def. Zeke Tuinei-Wily by TKO, Round 1, 3:07
Light Heavyweight: Jordan Johnson def. Sigi Pesaleli by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

The post PFL 6 2019 — Light Heavyweights and Heavyweights: Live Results and Standings appeared first on Cageside Press.

The official weigh-in for PFL 6, 2019 edition took place today in Atlantic City, NJ. And continuing a recent trend for the Professional Fighters League, yet another athlete missed at the scales. This time out, it was former UFC fighter Ronny Markes, whose fight with Dan Spohn was pulled from the event as a result.

Spohn now gets the walkover win, and three points. Whether that’s enough to make it into the post-season won’t be known until Thursday night. Meanwhile, with no points in the regular season, Markes is effectively done, barring some miracle.

“Our heavyweights and light heavyweights had the highest early stoppage rates last season, and with playoff spots on the line, I expect that trend to continue,” said Ray Sefo, President of Fighter Operations of the PFL in a press release Wednesday. “With our format, nobody is out of contention, every fight matters, every round counts. A first-round win for our fighters with 0 points could mean a spot in the Playoffs. Once you’re in the Playoffs, anything can happen. You’re one step closer to a million dollars, and that drama will unfold tomorrow night.”

The PFL 6 2019 card goes down at the Oceans Resort and Casino on Thursday, August 8. The action starts on ESPN 2, which will air the preliminary card starting at 8PM. The main card airs on ESPN+

PFL 6 2019 Weigh-In Results:

Main Card

Heavyweight: Satoshi Ishii (240.6) vs. Jared Rosholt (257.0)
Light Heavyweight: Vinny Magalhaes (205.2) vs. Rakim Cleveland (204.8)
Light Heavyweight: Rashid Yusupov (206) vs. Viktor Nemkov (205.6)
Heavyweight: Ali Isaev (263.2) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (265.2)
Light Heavyweight: Maxim Grishin (205.8) vs. Mikhail Mokhnatkin (205.6)
Heavyweight: Valdrin Istrevi (244.4) vs. Muhammed DeReese (245.6)
Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov (135.8) vs. Sedico Honorio (135.4)
Heavyweight: Francimar Barroso (244.8) vs. Ben Edwards (264.2)

Preliminary Card

Heavyweight: Kelvin Tiller (265.0) vs. Denis Gotsov (241.2)
Light Heavyweight: Bozigit Ataev (205.6) vs. Emiliano Sordi (205.8)
Heavyweight: Alex Nicholson (238.2) vs. Zeke Tuinei-Wily (265.6)
Light Heavyweight: Jordan Johnson (205.8) vs Joe Pesaleli (204.8)

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Francimar Barroso was the number-one seed in last year’s PFL heavyweight tournament, and will look to have similar success in the regular season this year. A pair of first-round stoppages last year gave Barroso the maximum 12 points, but he was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by finalist Josh Copeland by way of majority draw. Since then, Barroso won a fight in Russia to prevent any ring rust in 2019. The Brazilian was a four-year veteran of the UFC, going 3-4 with one no contest in their light heavyweight division.

Alex Nicholson had an exciting run during the PFL 2018 season. Going 1-1 in the regular season, Nicholson made the playoffs as the fifth seed with five points after a flying knee knockout in his PFL debut. In the playoffs, Nicholson knocked out Jack May in the first round, but was knocked out by eventual runner-up Josh Copeland later that night. The Florida native was 1-3 in the UFC primarily at middleweight, including a win over Devin Clark, but has fought at heavyweight in PFL.

Heavy hands were being dished early from both fighters, as they were finishing machines in the first season of PFL. A big overhand right landed for Francimar Barroso, then a slapping body kick from Alex Nicholson. Barroso caught a low kick and swept Nicholson to the ground, but Nicholson landed heavy strikes from the bottom as the Brazilian established position. Barroso started in half guard, moved his wayt to mount, but Nicholson snuck out the back door and landed a thudding body kick. A counter right hook landed for Barroso as Nicholson was kicking. Nicholson charged forward with a combination, landing a big right hand, but Barroso stood tall and absorbed the punches at the end of an exciting first round.

Barroso landed a loud single-leg takedown to start the second round, transitioning to half guard very quickly. Barroso moved to mount again, but refused to posture up. Again, Nicholson popped out the back door, but ate an upkick and was swept by a grounded Barroso, who took half guard again. After a stalemate in half guard, Nicholson swept Barroso again to stand up. Barroso was nailed by a wheel kick and subsequent punches, but Nicholson slipped and Francimar took side control to ride out the round, resisting one more sweep from Nicholson.

Barroso shot for a takedown to start the final round, but Nicholson defended with a beautiful spinning backfist. Barroso shot again, but Nicholson defended easily and rocked the Brazilian with an uppercut. A right hand knocked Barroso down, but Nicholson couldn’t take advantage due to upkicks. Nicholson allowed Barroso up, knocked him down again, but Barroso defended with a leglock attempt that stopped his offense. Nicholson slid out, but Barroso jumped into top position, transitioning to half guard. With 20 seconds to go, the referee stood up the exhausted heavyweights, who took their time getting up. Nicholson went for it all, but couldn’t finish.

Francimar Barroso def. Alex Nicholson by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

Check out the rest of the results from PFL 3 2019 here!

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Uniondale, NY – One of the fighters receiving promotional focus ahead of PFL 3 2019 is Alex Nicholson. The former UFC middleweight has found a comfortable home at heavyweight in PFL, owning two of the more exciting knockouts from last season.

He starts a new campaign in 2019, and it starts with a matchup against fellow former UFC competitor, and last year’s top-seeded heavyweight Francimar Barroso.

“I’m not worried about what he’s going to do. I’m more worried about implementing my gameplan, focusing on what I have to do. I know he’s a ‘world-class grappler’ but, not to take anything away from his experience or his skill-set, I just think if he ends up getting me down there to expose my grappling, he’s going to find out he’s in trouble. I’m well-rounded. I’ve been working with Jacare Souza, he’s like the Michael Jordan of jiu-jitsu. I think if he can find that part of me, he’s going to learn that I’m good at everything I do.”

Nicholson has been slowly but surely bulking himself up from the middleweight we saw in his UFC days, to the current heavyweight knockout artist in PFL. His secret?

“I’ve been force-feeding myself, drinking a ton of water, doing all I can just to explode a little bit. I got up to 245, almost 250. I was going into sparring thinking, ‘Maybe I can’t hold all of this, man.’ I have to say, one shot, it might not kill somebody at that weight. I was feeling a little full. I got my sprints on, I got back to destroying the pads and working on sparring, and I just capped out at around 235, 240. We showed up after traveling, I was 240 and I think I was just moving around too much, getting excited and I shed a couple of pounds. No matter what I weigh tomorrow, I’m going to have enough weight to get the job done.”

“The Spartan” touched on the middleweight experience and what motivated him to move up in weight.

“The thing about that, I was an amateur fighter. Me and my brother Mike Perry, traveling around the country with my father. I remember one time I weighed in at 185, then I gained the weight and the next day I weighed in for a 205. So I weighed in Thursday, fought Friday at 85. Weighed in Friday, fought Saturday at 205. Mike did the same thing at 55 and 70. We were staying real busy, just fight after fight after fight. But I got a little older, and cutting from 220 pounds to 185, like I did in my pro debut, I remember I walked in at 220 pounds the night of the fight. Even the doctors were like, ‘Is this possible? Were you floating last night?’ It just became too much. My last UFC fight against Jack Hermansson, I remember waking up that day thinking, ‘Man, I have to fight tonight? I don’t feel right.’ I only gained like five more pounds. At 192, my body just wasn’t doing it, wasn’t rehydrating. It cost me, it just wasn’t me. So at heavyweight, I’m almost 30-years-old, I’m a grown man, I’ve got grown man strength, ready to do grown man things. Move this weight around, excite the world.”

During the regular season, especially the first fights for a division, PFL handpicks the matchups they want to see. With that being said, it’s odd seeing last year’s number-one seed, Francimar Barroso, and Alex Nicholson fighting right away. Nicholson has his theories though.

“I think that they know it’s going to be an exciting fight. But I think they also know that I’m going to knock him the f**k out. And I think that’s why they threw him in there because he’s going to dive for my ankles once I start putting the heat on him. He’s older, he’s almost 40 now, he’s not learning new tricks. I am. Not to talk bad about the guy, he hasn’t said one bad thing about me, but that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to find a way like he’s hiding from me. I’m going to take his ass out.”

See if Alex Nicholson does just that tonight at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN 2 during PFL 3 2019, and check out the rest of the scrum above. 

The post PFL 3 2019’s Alex Nicholson: “They Know I’m Going to Knock Him the F**k Out” appeared first on Cageside Press.