Once again stacking the card with familiar names, the latest XMMA event, at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, featured “Violent Bob Ross” a.k.a. Luis Pena in the main event, taking on fellow UFC alum and ex-Bellator MMA lightweight champ “Ill” Will Brooks.

Jared Gooden and Impa Kasanganay, two more ex-UFC talents, were positioned in the co-feature, while Collin Anglin, Austin Hubbard, Sasha Palatnikov, Teruto Ishihara and more also appeared.

Former WSOF/PFL standout Andre Harrison, meanwhile, was also in action, taking on the little-known Maike Linhares.

Full results from XMMA 5, which took place on Saturday, July 23, 2022 in Columbia, South Carolina, can be found below.

XMMA 5: Southern Heat Results

Will Brooks def. Luis Pena by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Impa Kasanganay def. Jared Gooden by TKO, Round 1, 3:16
Maike Linhares def. Andre Harrison by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Austin Hubbard def. Julian Lane by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Demarques Jackson def. Joe Gigliotti by submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 3:33
Josh Rettinghouse def. Chris Beal by TKO, Round 1, 2:10
Teruto Ishihara def. Westin Wilson by KO, Round 1, 3:25
James Brown def. Collin Anglin by TKO, Round 2, 0:53
Tanner Saraceno def. Sasha Palatnikov by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 4:08
Cody Jones def. Jackson Farias by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 1, 4:20*
Jason Faglier Jr. def. Tyler Wilson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Karl Williams def. Simon Marini by TKO, Round 1, 3:50
Montè Ogbonna-Morrison def. Zac Dalen by TKO (leg injury), Round 3, 0:18
Quintezs Sapp def. Josh Baker by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1

* mistakenly announced as a TKO

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For Yorgan De Castro, CES 65 marked his first fight back following his release from the UFC earlier this year. The heavyweight competed for CES prior to his Contender Series and Ultimate Fighting Championship run, the latter of which saw him post a 1-3 record.

Looking to regroup and work his way back to the big show, De Castro was taking on Danyelle Williams, who after a brief stint in boxing was returning to MMA for the first time since 2017.

The story surrounding Andre Harrison’s return to the cage in the co-main event was a wild one. The former PFL champ had not competed in two years not because of injury or illness, but simply because the major promotions wouldn’t sign him off a loss, and no one on the regional scene seemed to want to fight him.

Brazilian LFA veteran Mauro Chaulet had signed on, however, ending Harrison’s lengthy inactive stretch.

Full results from Sunday’s CES 65 card can be found below. The event takes place Sunday, November 7 at the Providence Career and Technical Academy in Providence, Rhode Island. It all goes down live on UFC Fight Pass starting at 4PM ET.

CES 65: De Castro vs. Williams Results

Main Card

Yorgan De Castro def. Danyelle Williams by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-27)
Andre Harrison def. Mauro Chaulet by TKO (5:00), Round 1, 5:00
Ashiek Ajim def. Carlos Espinosa by knockout, Round 1, 0:26
John Douma def. Tristan Lindi by submission (d’arce choke), Round 1, 2:24
Hugh McKenna def. Pat McCrohan by TKO, Round 1, 4:33
Nathan Ghareeb def. Tom Pagliarulo by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Tim Flores def. Matt Almy by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Post-Liminary Card

Rakim Thorpe def. Aaron Hughes by decision
Tyrime Da Silva def. Josh Hardy by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 0:41

The post CES 65: De Castro vs. Williams Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I wish I had a better story, but the fact of the matter is, I just could not find a fight. All of the big promotions wouldn’t sign me because I was coming off a loss.”

That is Harrison (24-2-1), the last man to hold the World Series of Fighting featherweight title before the belt was retired — and the first to hold the PFL version of the title. He is also the man that fought current PFL champion Movlid Khaybulaev to a draw. Harrison has been on the sidelines for two years because he could not find a fight on the regional scene, and a major MMA organization would not sign him because of his last loss.

In the 2019 PFL tournament, he lost to Alex Gilpin in the semifinals via ninja choke in the second round. He hasn’t fought since.

“You know, the loss to Alex Gilpin, I don’t take anything away from that man. Hell of a fight, and he beat me fair a square. But if we fight ten more times, I think I beat him every single time. Of course, that is just my opinion; I could be very wrong. That is the good thing about fighting; we can find out,” Harrison told Cagesidepress in a recent exclusive interview.

All of the major promotions reportedly told him to get one win on the regional scene; however, no one would accept a fight with him. “It was very, very frustrating. I have been training the entire two years, and I feel like I lost two years of my prime on the sidelines,” Harrison said.

“My management and coaches would come to me with a fight, and three weeks later, my opponent would be out of the fight, or I would find out they didn’t sign the contract. I was very hopeful throughout the two years, but nothing came of it.”

He tried to fight for all of the smaller promotions, such as LFA, Titan, CFFC. But, not one of them could find an opponent for him.

“It wasn’t the promotions. It was the fighters. I tried 145, 155, I even agreed to a catchweight at 160-165, everyone said no,” Harrison said.

Thankfully, Harrison finally got a fight. He returns to action on November 7 at CES 65 against Mauro Chaulet. “The Bull” is not taking this fight for granted.

“Being out so long, you kind of like, learn to appreciate the position that you’re in. I’m not getting any younger, and I have to capitalize on every opportunity given. When that opportunity was taken from me these last two years, it truly hurt. It hurt bad. I was ready and in shape, and there was nothing I could do about it,” Harrison said. “I took fighting for granted all those years because I could fight whenever I wanted to. Living these last two years was painful. Now that I have this opportunity, I’m going to take full advantage of it in every aspect.”

“There isn’t much film on my opponent, to be honest. I know that he is tough, he can strike, and he can wrestle. That’s all I really need to know. He is game, and I know this will be a very exciting fight. I will finish him in the second round. Tune in.”

With the 2021 season of the PFL over, Harrison reflected on his weight class and said two match-ups need to happen at some point.

“The trilogy between myself and Lance Palmer must happen. I beat him for the title in 2017, and he knocked me out of the tournament in 2018. We are 1-1,” Harrison said.

“Movlid [Khaybulaev] is a good guy, man. We have talked off and on since our first fight. After he won this year’s tournament, the morning after, he messaged me and said that it should be him and I fighting, and he hopes I go back to the PFL. He also wished me good luck in my upcoming fight. I think the fans want that fight.”

The rematch between Harrison and Khaybulaev would be amazing, especially with how the first fight went. “It’s funny; the broadcast was saying Movlid has never lost a round. Well, excuse me, but he lost two against me. Just saying.”

You can watch Andre Harrison’s fight against Mauro Chaulet at CES 65 exclusively on UFC Fight Pass this Sunday, November 7.

The post CES 65: Ex-PFL Champ Andre Harrison Could Not Get A Fight For Two Years Because He Was Coming Off A Loss appeared first on Cageside Press.

The second fight in on the PFL 8 2019 card at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas on Thursday saw promotion favorite Andre Harrison walk to the cage for one of two possible playoff bouts. Opposite the #5 featherweight seed was #4 seed Alex Gilpin. Gilpin had split his pair of regular season fights, going 1-1, while Harrison entered the playoffs off a win, and a majority draw against Movlid Khaybulaev.

The winner of this scrap would take on Lance Palmer in the semifinals, after Palmer won the card’s opening fight.

With the touch of the gloves the pair were off, standing toe-to-toe at center. Harrison fired a couple of body kicks. Gilpin would then shoot for a takedown, lightning quick. Harrison sprawled, stuffed the attempt, and escaped back to center. Gilpin would fire a kick to the body, and they’d trade before another Gilpin shoot was brushed off by ‘Dre the Bull.’ An inside trip by Gilpin, however, would get the fight down. Harrison scrambled up, with Gilpin working to take the back. Gilpin then latched on with a guillotine, pulling guard in the process. When he couldn’t pull it off, however, Gilpin had to contend with Harrison in his guard.

Gilpin opened the second round with a left and a right, while Harrison targeted the body. The pair were trading single strikes and two-punch combos, with Harrison having greater effect, at one point kicking the legs out from under Gilpin. Harrison then pressed his opponent up against the cage and took him down with a double-leg. However as Harrison attempted to battle Gilpin on the ground, Gilpin locked in a front choke. Harrison refused to tap, and went out!

The choke (announced incorrectly as a guillotine) marked the first time Harrison had been submitted. Or finished period.

Official Result: Alex Gilpin def. Andre Harrison by technical submission (ninja choke), Round 2, 1:49

The post PFL 8 2019 Results: Alex Gilpin Chokes Out Andre Harrison appeared first on Cageside Press.

We’re back with another installment of the Weekly MMA Prospect report, and just like last week, the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has plenty to offer fight fans. PFL 8 is a card to watch, but overseas action has plenty of prospects on display as well, including Russia’s M-1. Without further adieu, let’s get to the prospects!

PFL #8 | Nevada | Thursday

Lightweight, Islam Mamedov (18-2)

A top-level wrestler, Mamedov finds the takedown naturally, and on top, he is as good as it gets. He sticks like glue, he moves well and is even excellent at taking the back. His ground-and-pound is very solid — not heavy strikes but constant strikes. Once Mamedov gets the separation, he has a good submission game. On the feet, he is explosive, and he lunges forward with hooks and flying knees. He has power but his ground game is where he is best. He fights Loik Radzhabov (12-1).

Featherweight, Movlid Khaybulaev (14-0-1)

Movlid is a very solid fighter all around, and he is really technical in his stand-up. He throws a lot of spinning attacks, not overdoing it, but that is a good thing. Movlid uses the flying knee often, with which he knocked out his last opponent. With that said, he also has good wrestling; he is able to shoot in for a double leg or he can lift and slam you to the mat. Movlid can usually get the fight down multiple times in a bout. He fights former UFC fighter Daniel Pineda (26-13).

Featherweight, Andre Harrison (21-1-1)

“The Bull” is a two-time All-American DII wrestler who lives up to his nickname by pulling his opponents down to the mat and staying on top with heavy pressure. His wrestling is excellent and striking-wise he is also dangerous. He has power in his hands, as he has dropped opponents in the past but his wrestling is his bread and butter. He is a grinding type of fighter who likes to wear down his opponents and he has used his wrestling to take out some top-notch competition. He fights Alex Gilpin (13-2).

  M-1 Challenge 105 | Saturday | Kazakhstan

Flyweight, Asu Almabaev (10-2)

An under-the-radar prospect, Asu Almabaev is on a six-fight win streak. On the feet, he relies on his movement. He’s not the most skilled upright but is quick with what he throws. His takedown defense isn’t too great but on the mat anywhere is his strong suit. Almabaev has solid jiu-jitsu and that’s with five submission wins. He’s good off his back going for submissions to create scrambles. He moves very well on top as well. We’re still not fully sold on him though. He fights Mikael Silander (19-7), who is a good test.

Future FC 9 | Saturday | Brazil

Featherweight, Rafael Barbosa (12-1)

Barbosa has looked impressive and at only 21-years old, he has a high ceiling. He fights with a karate stance, lasering the jab along with an excellent right kick to the liver. The Brazilian is slick on the feet and does a good job with his movement. Barbosa has some solid head movement, slipping and ripping his counters. He is still green on the mat though, but at his young age, there is still lots of room for improvement. He fights Luis Nogueira (21-8-2).

MFC 18 | Saturday | Nebraska

Flyweight, Nate Smith (5-0)

Still so young in his career, Smith has looked pretty good thus far. On the feet, it would be nice to see him be more willing to throw more than one strike at a time. Smith does a good job picking his shots and is accurate for the most part. His wrestling is still a work in progress but it’s on the mat where he excels. Smith takes the back fairly easily and in his last three fights he’s finished with a rear-naked choke. He fights Delfino Benitez (3-1).

GFC 10 | Sunday | Russia

Featherweight, Migran Arutyunyan (2-0)

The Armenian is only 2-0 in MMA but has a background in another combat sport. Arutyunyan is an Armenian and Russian Greco-Roman wrestler who competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics. He’s seemed a bit lost on the feet but has shown excellent wrestling and ferocious ground and pound. Arutyunyan still has a lot to show and has a long way to go. He fights Zhasulan Akimzhanov (3-1).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Another Big Week for the PFL appeared first on Cageside Press.

PFL 5 | Thursday | New Jersey

Lightweight: Akhmet Aliev (18-4)

Aliev prefers to stay on the feet where he is quick, explosive, and diverse. Aliev loves to spin, sometimes too much, but it is effective to keep range. Aliev has a good kickboxing base with body kicks and leg kicks, but when he puts it behind his combinations, that’s where he shines. Combinations and output are what Aliev is best at as he throws three to four strikes at a time with good speed and a bit of power. The footwork is also sound moving in and out, once again illustrating his quickness. He fights former UFC lightweight Chris Wade (15-5), which will be his toughest fight to date.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uzmsgdJQhM&t=1s

Featherweight: Andre Harrison (21-1)

“The Bull” is a two-time All-American DII wrestler who lives up to his nickname by pulling his opponents down to the mat and staying on top with heavy pressure. His wrestling is excellent and striking wise he is also dangerous. He has power in his hands, as he has dropped opponents in the past but his wrestling is his bread and butter. He is a grinding type fighter who likes to wear down his opponents and he has used his wrestling to take out some top-notch competition. He fights Movlid Khaybulaev (14-0).

Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (14-0)

Movlid is a very solid fighter all around, he is really technical in his stand-up he throws a lot of spinning attacks, not overdoing it, but that is a good thing. Movlid uses the flying knee often, with which he knocked out his last opponent. With that, he also has good wrestling, he is able to shoot in for a double leg or he can lift and slam you to the mat. Movlid can usually get the fight down multiple times in a fight and from the fights I’ve seen, I see no weakness yet. He fights Andre Harrison (21-1).

Lightweight: Islam Mamedov (17-2)

A top-level wrestler, Mamedov finds the takedown naturally, and on top, he is as good as it gets. He sticks like glue, he moves well and is even excellent at taking the back. His ground-and-pound is very solid – not heavy strikes but constant strikes. Once Mamedov gets the separation, he has a good submission game. On the feet, he is explosive, and he lunges forward with hooks and flying knees. He has power but his ground game is where he is best. He fights Yincang Bao (13-8), who is on a two-fight skid.

Future FC 7 | Friday | Brazil

Bantamweight: Herbeth Sousa (13-1)

With only one loss, Sousa is currently on a three-fight win streak. His latest win coming against Glyan Alves, someone who I was high on. “Indio” is an aggressive grappler who has nine submissions all coming in the first round. His wrestling is solid but obviously, it’s the grappling that’s key. His transitions are smooth and his finishing ability on the submissions is dangerous as he is a black belt in BJJ. He still needs some work on the feet but only 25-years-old. He fights Tiagro Costa (15-4) who is tough but Sousa should win.

Lightweight: Anderson Ferreira (13-1)

Ferreira has a background in Muay Thai with a record of 18-1 (which may not even be up-to-date) and in kickboxing with a 15-2 record, with a WGP title to his name. Obviously, the Brazilian wants to keep the fight standing where he can use his length with his kicks and strikes. After losing his first fight, Ferreira has won all his 13 subsequent fights with a 100% finish rate. He does have an issue holding his chin straight up and his takedown defense is still a work in progress but he is very dangerous on the feet. He fights Jackson Loureiro (8-0), who I’m not too impressed with.

Flyweight: Danilo Adreani (8-2)

Adreani still needs work on the feet on his technique but his explosiveness and speed is good enough. He excels on the mat though and his wrestling is good being very strong against the cage and throwing his foes to their back. Adreani is scrappy on the mat, always moving and throwing constant ground-and-pound for the entire fight with a solid pace. The Brazilian has lost positions before but he can scramble very well making him such a good prospect. He fights Marcelo Dias (10-3), who has lost to other grapplers.

Lightweight: Brendo Bispo (16-4)

With already 20fights at only 25-years-old, Bispo looks to be in his prime since moving up to lightweight, Bispo trains out of Chute Boxe with UFC fighter Charles Oliveira. Bispo is very explosive but needs to throw more leg kicks because his legs are huge. He needs to throw more but he hits hard. He does a good job striking his way into the clinch where he has solid Muay Thai and can prove his strength. Bispo has some good ground-and-pound and is a threat with submissions. He’s really improved and is a good prospect all-around. He fights Luis Fernando de Oliveira Lima (7-4), who is a step down in competition.

Featherweight: Gabriel Alves Braga (3-0)

Only 3-0 and 21-years-old, Barga really impressed me in his last fight. He has a solid ground game with his ground-and-pound but prefers to stay standing. Braga is very technical as he loves to throw from all different kinds of angles. He throws a bit of everything including knees, elbows, and ripping all his strikes together perfectly. Braga rips the body frequently and he mixes that into combinations very well. He’s always throwing output mixing, in all his weapons. He fights Jean Inácio Soares (5-2), who is coming off a loss.

Battlefield FC 2 | Friday | Macau

Lightweight: Kaik Brito (12-1)

Brito, at only 22-years-old, is already impressive and well tested for his age. Brito has a background in Muay Thai and really would prefer to keep the fight standing. Brito excels in the clinch, where his Muay Thai comes into play with elbows and knees. At a distance, he is well versed in throwing kicks behind punches, throwing with a lot of power behind them. Brito would need to work on his takedown defense as he does find himself on his back often, but he has a good, active guard and threatens with submissions off of his back. He fights Mateusz Rębecki (9-1), who lacks footage.

Lightweight: Bruno Miranda (12-3)

Miranda is an exciting prospect training out of a top camp in Tiger Muay Thai. Miranda has extensive experience in Muay Thai and it’s shown throughout his MMA career. You will see Miranda attack the leg kicks early and often throughout the fight. The Brazilian is a banger who will come out throwing bombs the entire fight. He is wild though and that’s resulted in him getting tagged but he’s tough and his will breaks opponents. Miranda is a striker/kickboxer by trade but he has some decent wrestling to fall back on. He fights Ricardo Tirloni (23-7) in a fight that is hard to predict.

Featherweight: Julio Cesar Neves (34-1)

 The record this kid has is just insane especially at 25-years-old, though like any Astra Fight Team member there is a lot of sub-professional early-career filler on his resume. With 19 KO/TKOs and 10 submissions, Neves is very skilled everywhere and has a legit BJJ game that he can use to easily neutralize most opponents. On the feet is where Neves is most dangerous, as his Muay Thai is lethal – ending multiple fights by knee strikes – and his kickboxing is dangerous. He’s flashy in the cage but it’s not just to put on a show, as he’s had a lot of success with his unpredictable striking style. He fights Kevin Park (2-1).

Oktagon 13 | Saturday | Czech Republic

Middleweight: Makhmud Muradov (21-6)

The Uzbekistan-born fighter has a lot of experience with 27 total fights. Muradov relies on his explosiveness on the feet with straight punches and loves to throw the flying knees. On the feet, he covers distance very well. Muradov does a great job throwing different attacks and mixing it all together. His takedowns usually come just from him bulldozing over his opponents. He’s at his best on top with smashing ground-and-pound until the ref steps in. He fights former UFC fighter, Wendell Oliveira (31-12). With a win, expect to see him in the UFC next.

Heavyweight: Martin Buday (6-1)

Buday doesn’t have any special qualities but his forward pressure and cutting off angles has done well for him. He doesn’t hit hard but has good timing on when he throws. He’s not fast but uses effective footwork. While he’s not the most explosive heavyweight, he is still on a five-fight win streak with all five finishes. He fights Daniel Dittrich (5-3), who he should beat.

Flyweight: David Dvorak (16-3)

Dvorak has been dominating the last couple years as he is currently on a 12-fight win streak. On the feet, he’s dangerous at range with the angles he cuts, always using a large arsenal of attack with the teep kick being highlighted. He does a great job keeping range with his kicks and footwork but he also cuts his opponents off and explodes in when need be. In the clinch, he is lethal with his knees and elbows. He hasn’t shown much wrestling but has shown solid takedown defense and is a threat if he ends up on top where he has fight-stopping ground-and-pound. He fights Arsen Taigibov (16-2), who lacks footage.

Rise FC 4 | Saturday | Canada

Bantamweight: Jamie Siraj (7-1)

Siraj is underrated, but still one of Canada’s best prospects. His only loss comes to UFC fighter Cole Smith, but since then, he’s on a four-fight win streak. Siraj is well-rounded getting it done on the feet and on the mat. Siraj has a nice flow of output with outstanding shot selection. “The Gremlin” has speed and it really shines when he lets his hands go. He has some solid wrestling as well and that comes with ground and pound and a strong submission base. He fights Blake Sigvaldason (3-1), which is a squash match.

Rizin 17 | Saturday | Japan

Lightweight: Mikuru Asakura (10-1)

Asakura is an exciting prospect who has steamrolled all but one of his opponents. Asakura is a very adept grappler who has some proficient judo/wrestling, along with exceptional jiu-jitsu. Having said that, on the feet is where Asakura is most dangerous. Holding huge knockout power, you could describe Asakura as having dynamite in his hands. He uses that innate power with good set-up technique, including counters and feints. He is a sniper with explosiveness. He fights Yusuke Yachi (20-8), who is on a two-fight skid.

Light Heavyweight: Ivan Shtyrkov (16-0-1)

Considered one of the top light-heavyweight prospects in the world. Shtyrkov has the power on his feet to drop anyone but tends to get hit a lot. Luckily, he has shown a good chin and is willing to take one to give one. Shtyrkov does have better wrestling then you might expect for a brawler, with a wide variety of takedowns including body-lock takedowns, to double-leg takedowns, to trip takedowns that show his power and athleticism. On top, he is a real submission threat with six of his wins ending with a submission and five of them by armbar, something uncommon for the big guys. He fights Hoon Kim (10-12-2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE9PP4Qewi8

Lightweight: Roberto de Souza (8-0)

Souza grew up doing judo and jiu-jitsu and would later become very successful in BJJ. His grappling record (on paper) is 61-15 with 37 submission wins. He has many achievements in BJJ, and you can read them all here. While MMA is an entirely different sport, Souza still has got it done on the mat with six submissions. His striking has been coming around, as in his last fight, he fought off his back foot and landed the jab over and over. Souza, as shown, can get it done on the feet with his hands as well. He fights Mizuto Hirota (18-10-2).

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

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: PFL 5, RIZIN 17, and More appeared first on Cageside Press.

Uniondale, NY – Andre Harrison got the job done at PFL 2 2019, utilizing heavy top control to defeat Peter Petties and earn three points. What made it even better was doing it so close to home. Unlike his Long Island counterpart Chris Wade, Harrison was pleased with his outing.

“Overall, I think I could have been more active in certain areas. But you can say anything from the outside looking in. But when you’re in there, things go differently. I did what I needed to do to make sure I secured the win, pushed the action where I could have and went from there.”

Fighting at home has its benefits and issues. “The Bull” experience both on fight night.

“I don’t know how many of you in here competed or anything like that, but the day of the fight, after you weigh-in, you’re so happy and excited because you get to rehydrate and eat again after not doing so for however long. But after you do all that, you’re just waiting around for the fight to happen. While you’re sitting there, so many thoughts go through your head. It’s the worst thing ever. Especially when you’re home. When you’re on away, yeah, you’re on TV and everyone can watch you and everything. But it’s a whole different ballgame walking out there and seeing people you know that you haven’t seen in years or they have kids that look up to you. It’s a whole different ballgame. It definitely adds a bit of pressure, but in times where you need to man up or muscle up and do what you need to do, it definitely helps as well.”

The wrestling-first gameplan may not have been very appealing to viewers, but Harrison was certainly not trying to make it lackluster.

“While we were down there and hand-fighting, there were a couple of times when he grabbed my wrist from awkward angles. If you look at the first round, there were a couple of times where I was trying to jerk my hand out, I just couldn’t get it away. It’s not like I just wanted to lay there. If you’re on top of somebody with good position, you want to hit him. He comes from a good camp too. It’s not like he’s just some scrub who happened to walk in. He knows what he’s doing in there.”

Harrison started his career off marvelously at 20-0, but came up short in the semifinals last season to eventual champion Lance Palmer. That first taste of defeat has added fuel to his fire.

“Motivated. Last year didn’t end the way I wanted it to end so this year I have to do everything I can to make sure it ends the way I think it should end.”

The Bellmore Kickboxing product was incredibly close to getting a bonus point late in the third round when he nearly sunk in a rear-naked choke. Unfortunately, Petties slipped out, leaving Harrison with three points in the standings.

“You saw how deep that choke was huh? That’s going to be on my mind this whole time. Originally, I don’t know if he turned the wrong way or if he just turned halfway and just stopped, but it just slipped right under and I went to go get it, but by that time he had already gone back down to the mat and it was over.”

Check out the rest of the post-fight press conference above!

The post PFL 2 2019: Andre Harrison Describes Pressures of Fighting at Home appeared first on Cageside Press.

Andre Harrison got off to a great start in his career, going 16-0 with four defenses of the Titan FC featherweight title and a WSOF title victory over Lance Palmer before the inaugural PFL season. “The Bull” was the third seed in last year’s tournament and reached the semi-finals, where he was defeated for the first time in his career in a rematch with the eventual champion Palmer. The Long Island native will be fighting at home in this one.

Peter Petties is 8-4 in his career, winning his last two fights. The Lloyd Irvin fighter appeared on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series in 2017, losing to Julio Arce, who is currently 3-1 in the UFC.

Andre Harrison started the fight as the aggressor, taking the center of the cage as the fighters traded range-finding strikes. Harrison bullrushed Peter Petties into the cage and scored a takedown, moving into side control quickly. Petties had no answer for the strong top control of the Long Islander, who rode out the round in side control.

Petties was able to avoid the first takedown attempt of the second round, then landed a hard body kick. Harrison then caught a flying knee and slammed Petties down against the cage. Harrison moved to half guard and was content to stay there as long as Petties did not resist. Petties attempted to wall walk, but Harrison pinned him against the cage to ride out the round.

The fighters traded heavy hooks to start the final round, then Petties landed a combination with Harrison’s back to the cage. Petties avoided a takedown by throwing Harrison aside. Harrison rushed forward again, but Petties sprawled on him. Petties, who was very aggressive in the final round, landed a jumping body kick that Harrison turned into a clinch. Harrison was finally able to drag Petties down halfway through the final round. Harrison moved to side control at the final minute then took the back of Petties, who tried to wall walk to safety. Harrison got an arm under the neck, but couldn’t get the stoppage.

Andre Harrison def. Peter Petties by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

The post PFL 2 2019 Results: Andre Harrison Smothers Peter Petties appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Professional Fighters league is continuing to unveil its roster for the upcoming PFL 2019 season. And among the most recent additions are a couple of UFC veterans. Plus a handful of returning names. PFL officials announced the news in a press release on Thursday. Among the standouts, undefeated UFC light heavyweight Jordan Johnson (10-0), who won four straight fights under the UFC banner, but could not come to terms on a new deal with the promotion.

The shot at a million dollars in the PFL, quite bluntly, will likely represent more  money than he could have made through another UFC deal anyway.

Johnson began his pro career in 2014, and joined the UFC in 2017, quickly rattling off a number of decision wins before submitting Adam Yandiev in his final fight with the company at UFC Moscow. That fight marked Johnson’s middleweight debut, but he’ll be back to light heavyweight with the PFL.

Also joining the Professional Fighters League in 2019, UFC and Bellator MMA vet David Michaud (15-4). Among his fifteen wins as a pro, thirteen have come via stoppage. Michaud fought for the UFC from 2014-2015, going 1-2 with the promotion. He’ll enter the PFL 2019 season on a three fight win streak, with his most recent win coming under the LFA banner.

Other new fighters joining the league for 2019 are welterweight Zane Kamaka (13-3), a cousin of PFL standout Ray Cooper III, and featherweight Luis Rafael Laurentino. Laurentino has a mind-boggling pro record of 33-1. A good number of those opponents boast sub-.500 records, but his past two victories have come against Carlisson Diego Dos Santos (13-5) and Cleverson Silva (11-3).

Lightweight Nate Andrews (15-1) rides a nine-fight win streak into the PFL 2019 season, with all victories coming by stoppage. Australia’s Ben Edwards (4-0), a heavyweight, has the least MMA experience of the bunch, but had a successful kickboxing career, setting the record for the fastest kickboxing tournament win in K-1 history: three first-round knockouts across a grand total of 3:28. Russia’s Denis Goltsov (22-5) also joins the heavyweight division.

Returning to the PFL roster for a second season, meanwhile, are Smealinho Rama (light heavyweight, former WSOF heavyweight champ), Alex Nicholson (PFL 2018 heavyweight semi-finalist), Kelvin Tiller (heavyweight), Sadibou Sy (welterweight), Chris Wade (PFL 2018 lightweight semi-finalist), and Andre Harrison (PFL 2018 featherweight semi-finalist).

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The Professional Fighters League kicked off its post season with PFL 8 on Friday night, live from New Orleans, Louisiana. With both quarterfinal and semifinal fights going down on the same night, it was a huge, do-or-die opportunity for all involved. The event aired on NBC SN following prelims on Facebook Watch (outside the U.S., the full PFL 8 live stream could be viewed free on Facebook). At stake: a million dollars to the winner in each weight class, to be handed out at the live finale in New York on New Year’s Eve.

It was featherweights and heavyweights starting things off at PFL 8, with the top eight fighters in each weight class seeded. At heavyweight, number one seeded Francimar Barroso faced eighth seed Josh Copeland, while featherweight’s number one, Steven Siler, faced Nazareno Malegarie.

Preliminary Card

In the heavyweight alternate fight to start the evening, Mo De’Reese wasted little time in securing a single leg takedown on longtime veteran Mike Kyle. From there, De’Reese threatened to take the back. While he couldn’t secure it, he transitioned to mount, which was the beginning of the end for Kyle. With De’Reese raining down blows and Kyle unable to escape, he eventually gave the verbal submission, resulting in De’Reese picking up the first win of the evening. Key was that the heavyweight took little to no damage, meaning there’d likely be no issue with him appearing in the semi-finals later in the evening, if required.

Lance Palmer vs. Max Coga kicked off the featherweight quarterfinals, with Palmer landing a single leg takedown early after an exchange of leg kicks. Coga would defend with a leg lock, but for the better part of the first round, Palmer maintained control. That allowed him to work in some ground and pound, though the fight would head to the second frame. There, Palmer once again got the fight to the ground. Coga again attempted a leg lock, but it was Palmer’s control that was the story, and he claimed the win via unanimous decision (20-18 on all scorecards).

In the first heavyweight quarterfinal, Kelvin Tiller looked to continue his surprising, inspiring run as a dark horse pick to make the finals. Facing Jared Rosholt for the second straight fight (the pair met in the regular season), it simply wasn’t to be. Rosholt used smothering wrestling, and Tiller was unable to get off his back for nearly two full rounds. The former UFC vet Rosholt cruised to a unanimous decision.

Next up at featherweight, the undefeated Andre Harrison came out swinging against Brazil’s Alexandre Bezerra. Harrison would later do some damage to his opponent’s leg, but never really went after it again. Instead, he seemed to have the upper hand in the exchanges in the first round, until the end of the frame, when Harrison ate a knee, and was forced to hang onto the leg while his head cleared. In the second, things were much closer, enough so that one judge ruled the fight a draw. Still, two gave it to Harrison, who keeps his perfect record — and was set to rematch Lance Palmer later in the evening.

In the evening’s next heavyweight bout, Philipe Lins took virtually no time to secure a guillotine on good friend Caio Alencar. Lins elicited the tap in just under a minute. The following scrap, back at featherweight, would see Alexandre Almeida move forward in the tournament, as he defeated Jumabieke Tuerxun by majority decision.

Alex Nicholson and Jack May faced off next, in the second-to-last heavyweight quarterfinal. Nicholson attacked the taller May’s legs with kicks. A key decision, as an injured leg made May a sitting duck. Nicholson would wind up swarming his downed opponent later in the round, earning the finish by TKO in just over two minutes.

Main Card

Steven Siler vs. Nazareno Malegarie

Steven Silver against against Nazareno Malegarie opened up the main card, and it wasn’t long before the number seed Siler made an impact. Siler dropped Malegarie, but perhaps a tad over-eager, Siler rushed in, and nearly overshot his opponent. Malegarie was able to scramble back to the feet as a result, but Siler stayed on him, landing knees and controlling by employing a one-handed guillotine choke. Siler would look to secure a choke, but again Malegarie escaped. Malegarie then began taking some big swings as Siler backed him up, changing the complexion of the fight. The pair settled into a stand and exchange rhythm, and would finish the round on the feet.

Round two (of two, as a quarterfinal fight) opened with Malegarie going to the body, and Siler firing off a leg kick. Malegarie closed the distance, looking for a takedown but unable to convert. A takedown attempt later in the round saw Siler give up position, but after tying his opponent up from the bottom, Malegarie opted to let Siler up. Malegarie did what he could to take the fight back in the final moments, but it went to the scorecards. There, two judges saw the fight as a draw. Which meant that a tiebreaker was needed, in this case, the first round. Siler had won the round on all three judge’s scorecards, and thus would move forward into the semifinals.

Steven Siler vs. Nazareno Malegarie ends in a majority draw (20-18, 19-19, 19-19) — tiebreaker (first round) dictates Siler advances to semifinals.

Francimar Barroso vs. Josh Copeland

Early action in the final heavyweight quarter finaly saw Josh Copeland pushing forward, throwing hands at top-seeded Francimar Barroso. Copeland then clinched, driving him into the fence, but Barroso ducked out and escaped. A similar sequence would follow, and again, Barroso escaped. Barroso then caught Copeland with a counter, but Copeland would land a straight right in answer to a kick moments later. Barroso would fire a high kick at the end of the round that was blocked, and heading to the second, there was a good chance Copeland was up.

Without question, Josh Copeland looked like a new animal early in the fight. Round two saw him continue to be the aggressor early. Barroso opted to rely on his kicks more, attacking the body and head. An offensive barrage by Copeland saw him land a right that hurt his opponent, and he moved in for the clinch, only for Barosso to break free. On the next clinch along the cage Barosso reversed, but by that point, precious seconds were ticking off the clock. While the judges would rule the two-round fight a draw, based on a dominant first round, it was Copeland who advanced to the semifinals.

Josh Copeland vs. Francimar Barroso ends in a draw (19-19, 19-19, 19-19) — tiebreaker (first round) dictates Copeland advances to the semifinals

Andre Harrison vs. Lance Palmer (Featherweight Semifinal)

A pair of former WSOF champions met in the first semifinal of the evening, as featherweights Andre Harrison and Lance Palmer met for the second time. The undefeated Harrison won the then-WSOF 145lb title against Palmer in March of last year. Palmer had not lost since; Harrison was a perfect 20-0 heading into the night. As action got underway in the pair’s second meeting, it was Harrison holding center, and Palmer circling. Harrison would fire off after about a minute, with Palmer looking to counter. Both men were taking the cautious approach, with a lot on the line.

Just as Palmer was firing an overhand that connected, however, Harrison landed a low blow. After Palmer took a few seconds to recover, it was Harrison pressing the action, backing his opponent up, and firing some uppercuts. The lack of action in the round, however, was palpable.

Round two saw Palmer attacking early, closing the distance than fading back. He’d throw in a kick moments later. When Harrison moved in for his own offensive flurry, Palmer took him to the ground. Palmer then took the back as Harrison worked his way up. Hooks in, Palmer was holding on to the back with a body triangle as Harrison stood up. Palmer worked to get a rear-naked choke in, but struggled to get it under the chin. By the end of the round, Harrison literally just stood in place, holding the weight of Palmer, but not doing anything to shake him off, while Palmer was unable to do anything to secure the choke.

Harrison pressed the action early in round three, and Palmer immediately dropped for a single leg, taking Harrison down. Once again, Palmer took his opponent’s back, getting both hooks in. As Harrison tried to turn to escape out, Palmer managed to move to mount. Palmer would look for an arm-triangle choke, but wasn’t in position. He’d wind up in side control, however, and was likely well ahead on the scorecards. In the final seconds, Palmer moved back to mount and landed some ground n’ pound, but there was never any question that he had the win.

Lance Palmer def. Andre Harrison by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Philipe Lins vs. Jared Rosholt (Heavyweight Semifinal)

Not surprisingly, Jared Rosholt shot for a takedown early in his semifinal fight with Philipe Lins. However, it wound up a bit sloppy, and Lins escaped back to his feet. Rosholt stayed on him, however, dragging him down again. Rosholt controlled from the back, firing knees to his opponent’s thighs. Lins would make it to his feet again, but again, Rosholt took him straight back down. In the next sequence, however, Lins tried to latch on to the neck as Rosholt dropped for a takedown. Rosholt would survive that, while Lins worked for a triangle.

Just when it looked like Rosholt would blanket his way to the finale, Lins changed things up. Round two saw Lins connect with a combination early, stunning Rosholt with a left. He followed that up with some heavy punches punctuated by a right hand that dropped Rosholt! Rosholt was stunned, and Lins got on top, dropping hammer fists to finish the job!

Philipe Lins def. Jared Rosholt by TKO, Round 2, 0:45

Steven Siler vs. Alexandre Almeida

PFL 8 saw yet another rematch, as Steven Siler took on Alexandre Alemeida in the second semifinal at featherweight. The fight was a rematch of their controversial PFL 4, which Siler won by submission after the ref thought he saw Almeida tap. Far more was on the line this time, but could Almeida get his revenge?

Siler landed a counter early, and unloaded a flurry of strikes that forced Almeida to shoot for a takedown. Almeida tried pulling guard, but Siler backed off. Almeida was already bloodied, but came charging in on the attack, looking for a takedown. He took the back of Siler, getting his hooks in. Siler, however, shook him off, slipping out the back door. He’d later wind up in Almeida’s guard, but soon enough they’d be back up. A clinch by the cage stalled, and the ref restarted them out in the open. They’d battle it out to the buzzer to end the round, with Almeida scoring a late takedown.

Round two saw Almedia firing off an inside leg kick, while working to back Siler up. Siler would muscle Almeida down, but as Siler went to the ground, Almeida landed a clearly illegal upkick. The blow connected flush with Siler’s jaw, and left him dazed. After being looked at by a doctor, he was unable to continue.

Steven Siler def. Alexandre Almeida by DQ (illegal upkick), Round 2, 0:52

Alex Nicholson vs. Josh Copeland

The second heavyweight semifinal, and final bout of PFL 8, pitted a couple of UFC veterans in Josh Copeland and Alex Nicholson against each other, with a shot at a million dollars on the line.

Copeland went on the offensive early in this heavyweight semifinal, with Nicholson answering back. It didn’t feel like that affair would last long at that rate. Copeland fired a counter again, then drove in for a clinch against the fence. Nicholson shot off some knees to the body, then landed a spinning back fist and launched a flying knee. Just when it looked like ‘The Spartan’ was about to finish the job, Copeland floored him! Nicholson charged forward, and a thunderous right hand from Copeland connected! No follow-ups required, as Nicholson was out!

Josh Copeland def. Alex Nicholson by knockout, Round 1, 1:27

Check back come fight time for results and a recap of the night’s action! The PFL 8 live stream starts at 7:00 PM ET, and you can watch it via the official embed below. For viewers in the U.S., the main card will air on NBC SN.

PFL 8 Results:

Main Card

Heavyweight: Josh Copeland def. Alex Nicholson by knockout, Round 1, 1:27
Featherweight: Steven Siler def. Alexandre Almeida by DQ (illegal upkick), Round 2, 0:52
Heavyweight: Philipe Lins def. Jared Rosholt by TKO, Round 2, 0:45
Featherweight: Lance Palmer def. Andre Harrison by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Heavyweight: Josh Copeland vs. Francimar Barroso ends in a draw (19-19, 19-19, 19-19) – tiebreaker (first round) dictates Copeland advances to the semifinals
Featherweight: Steven Siler vs. Nazareno Malegarie ends in a majority draw (20-18, 19-19, 19-19) — tiebreaker (first round) dictates Siler advances to semifinals

Preliminary card (Facebook Watch)

Heavyweight: Alex Nicholson def. Jack May by TKO, Round 1, 2:03
Featherweight: Alexandre Almeida def. Jumabieke Tuerxun by majority decision (20-18, 20-18, 19-19)
Heavyweight: Philipe Lins def. Caio Alencar by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 0:58
Featherweight: Andre Harrison def. Alexandre Bezerra by majority decision (20-18, 20-18, 19-19)
Heavyweight: Jared Rosholt def. Kelvin Tiller by unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18)
Featherweight: Lance Palmer def. Max Coga by unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18)
Heavyweight: Mo De’Reese def. Mike Kyle by TKO, Round 1, 2:38
Featherweight: Marcos Galvão vs. Jeremy Kennedy

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