Driscoll (15-4) was shocked that while he got a 30-27 going his way his opponent did as well.

“I was really taken back by that. I became a little worried as to what the next two judges were going to score it. I was very confident in having round 1 and 2 with the wrestling and the forward pressure,” Driscoll told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“To hear 30-27 it definitely concerned me a little bit.”

Judges’ scores have long been an issue in the world of MMA, but to score a fight dominantly for both fighters is uncommon. Driscoll wasn’t sure what to think.

“For the third judge to say 30-27 I was like gosh dang it. Just wasn’t our night. For two judges to score a fight 30-27 in two different ways is kind of crazy to me,” he said.

With the win secured Driscoll sets his sights on next year’s tournament.

“Now we’re in the world tournament so there’s no stopping,” he said.

“We got to his a new level and continue to evolve.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Kyle Driscoll above.

The post Kyle Driscoll Shocked At Scores, Happy To Get Victory appeared first on Cageside Press.

The return of lineal UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou to mixed martial arts is just under a month away and his new promotion, the PFL, unveiled the complete fight card on Thursday morning for the event taking place on October 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Your Battle Of The Giants Fight Card is set 🔐

The countdown to impact is 𝙊𝙉 ⏳💥#PFLSuperFights | #BraceForImpact | Oct 19th pic.twitter.com/npBUbpv6Bb

— PFL (@PFLMMA) September 26, 2024

Leading the recently announced bouts is a featherweight contest between Husein Kadimagomaev (11-1) from Switzerland against Zafar Mohsen (13-4) of Germany who will be rounding out the pay-per-view portion of the card.  Kadimagomaev has built a strong record overseas where he has two appearances under the BRAVE banner and has trained with current UFC middleweight star Khamzat Chimaev.  Mohsen shares a similar path and enters the bout having finished his last three opponents.

Kadimagomaev and Mohsen join a pay-per-view lineup of pivotal bouts that includes the high stakes co-main event between reigning Bellator champion Cris Cyborg against two-time PFL tournament champion Larissa Pacheco, the middleweight rematch between Bellator champion Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards, and a lightweight bout between former Bellator champion AJ McKee and former Cage Warriors champion Paul Hughes.

Leading preliminary action will be former Bellator bantamweight champion Raufeon Stots who takes on Marcos Breno.  Stots is looking to continue building momentum back toward the title after notching his second victory over Danny Sabatello earlier this year.  Brazil’s Breno will be making his second appearance for the Bellator brand and first under the new iteration run by the PFL.  Breno has a previous fight with LFA but has been relatively inactive with only four fights in the past three years.  The two were previously targeted for a fight at the Bellator event earlier this month before it was scratched from the card.

The rest of preliminary card bouts that were announced will see up-and-coming talent from the Middle East and Europe in action with lightweight Makkasharip (15-4) taking on Derek Sanders (9-4), two featherweight bouts Ibragim Ibragimov (7-0) vs Nacho Campos (5-0) and Youssef Al Housani (4-1) vs Taha Bendaoud (3-0), and a middleweight fight Mostafa Nada (9-3) vs Ahmed Sami (11-4-0-1).

The event is set to take place in Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and will be broadcast on pay-per-view in the United States.

The Full Battle of Giants: Brace for Impact Fight Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Francis Ngannou (17-3) vs. Renan Ferreira (13-3, 3 NC)
Women’s Featherweight Co-Main Event: Cris “Cyborg” (27-2) vs. Larissa Pacheco (23-4)
Bellator Middleweight World Title Fight: Johnny Eblen (15-0) vs. Fabian Edwards (13-3)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Husein Kadimagomaev (11-1-0, 1 NC) vs Zafar Mohsen (13-4)
Lightweight Main Card Bout: AJ McKee (22-1) vs. Paul Hughes (12-1)

Bantamweight Early Card Bout: Raufeon Stots (20-2) vs Marcos Breno (15-3)
Lightweight Early Card Bout: Makkasharip Zaynukov (15-4) vs Dedrek Sanders (9-4)
Featherweight Early Card Bout: Ibragim Ibragimov (7-0) vs Nacho Campos (5-0)
Middleweight Early Card Bout: Mostafa Nada (9-3) vs Ahmed Sami (11-4-0, 1 NC)
Featherweight Early Card Bout: Youssef Al Housani (4-1) vs Taha Bendaoud (3-0)

The post Full Ngannou vs. Ferreira Card Revealed for October 19 PPV appeared first on Cageside Press.

Brave CF 47 | Bahrain | Thursday

Lightweight, Abdysalam Uulu Kubanychiev (17-3)

The lightweight fighter from Kyrgyzstan has been fighting at a pretty high level. He’s on an eight-fight win streak with six finishes. Kubanychiev doesn’t have the prettiest striking but makes up for it with his pressure. He throws a lot of wild overhands and hooks to close the distance. He’s a decent wrestler. Kubanychiev isn’t much of a submission threat. He fights former UFC fighter Rolando Dy (14-9).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZWYRKvsMmU&t=325s&ab_channel=HardKnoxFightGearandPromotions

Featherweight Tae Kyun Kim (7-0)

Kim doesn’t look much of a fighter but his resume says otherwise. On the mat he has some skills with three submission wins. He is better on the feet with his thechnical ability and pressure. Kim is constantly walking forward throwing crisp straight punches and hooks with his hands. He also has really good knees when he closes the distance. I still need to see more of him to label him as a top prospect but he’s worth watching. He fights Husein Kadimagomaev (7-0).

Featherweight, Husein Kadimagomaev (7-0)

Kadimagomaev is a high-level prospect coming out of Switzerland. The young 21-year-old is training out of Allstars Training Center which has been red hot lately. As impressive as 7-0 is, Kadimagomaev went 18-0 as an amateur. He has heavy kicks, good combinations coming in, and has solid wrestling. At such a young age he’s already so well-rounded and already so good. He fights Tae Kyun Kim (7-0).

Flyweight, Asu Almabaev (12-2)

Almabaev has a background in freestyle wrestling, was a national champion in jiu-jitsu, and has a BJJ world cup. He’s on a current six-fight win streak taking out fairly decent competition. On the feet Almabaev is quick, he has good fast hands, and he throws a lot of volume with combinations. His takedown defense is his glaring weakness but his good BJJ bails him out of bad positions. He’s mostly well-rounded and with proven cardio, he’s a solid fighter. He fights Ryskulbek Ibraimov (18-8).

Featherweight, Anzor Abdulkhozhaev (11-1)

Abdulkhozhaev has just one loss as a pro; that was a little over four years ago. Now, Abdulkhozhaev is on an eight-fight win streak. On the feet, Anzor is a distance striker throwing at his preferred range. He throws a good one-two and good right hand. He frequently switches stances to give different looks. Anzor has some decent wrestling as well and has a dangerous guillotine choke. His takedown defense needs work though moving forward. He fights Nemat Abdrashitov (15-8).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjDU9rPiC8Q&ab_channel=RAZLERG

Bantamweight, Rana Rudra Pratap Singh (11-0)

I’m not sold on Singh just yet. Yes, he does have an impressive undefeated record but against low-level competition. Of the footage available, Singh is completely fine off his back. In fact, with nine submission wins most are coming off his back. Still so much is unknown about him. He fights Ali Guliev (5-0).

CFFC 92 | US | Friday

Flyweight, Phumi Nkuti (2-0)

Nkuti may only be 2-0 as a pro but he went 5-0 as an amateur and won two titles as well. Also training out of Serra Longo he has a great team to build him as a prospect. On the feet, he has good hands but is wild in his approach. He’s a good wrestler and on the mat is where he’s comfortable. Nkuta is a strong positional grappler with dominant top control. Looks to be a solid flyweight prospect. He fights the champion Alberto Trujillo (5-1).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP-FlnPeNgk&ab_channel=JohnBeneduce

Bantamweight, Saidyokub Kakharamonov (7-2)

Kakharamonov is a solid prospect who has won the US open in Judo and is a multiple-time champ in Sambo. He had a few losses that set him back some but those were to Umar Nurmagomedov and Pipe Vargas. In his last fight, he got back on track knocking out Askar Askar who is a hot prospect. Many opponents have turned down Saidyokub and really, you can’t blame them. He fights Tycen Lynn (8-4).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgK1gd33WL0&ab_channel=MMAUZ

Bantamweight, Tycen Lynn (8-4)

Lynn made a name for himself in his last outing when he beat a good prospect in Phil Caracappa. Lynn has trained in taekwondo since the age of four and you can tell with his kicking attack in his MMA career. He wants the distance on the feet to let off his kicks. His takedown defense needs tons of work but is super dangerous off his back. Watch for his triangle choke cause he’s got a dangerous one. He fights Saidyokub Kakharamonov (7-2).

Bantamweight, Kasey Tanner (4-0)

Tanner is a fun and exciting prospect to watch for. He excels on the mat, where he can showcase his amazing scrambling ability and his jiu-jitsu as a whole. To get it to the mat he features a stong body lock in the clinch and textbook wrestling — it is solid. Once he gets on top he has solid ground and pound. The times he’s gone to his back he has quickly reversed and scrambled on top. He fights Terry Bartholomew (7-3).

Superfight MMA 16 | Australia | Friday

Featherweight, Mohammad Alavi (5-0)

Mohammad Alavi has been very impressive in his short MMA career with a 100% finish rate. He has three submission wins and that comes from his solid grappling. More impressively, his wrestling is a very dangerous weapon thanks to his timing and ability to chain wrestle. On the feet, he likes to maintain distance with kicks and does have a dangerous left head kick he throws often, which has led to one knockout. Still young in his career, but someone to watch for. He fights Cody Barnwell (3-1).

CFFC 93 | US | Friday

Middleweight, Aaron Jeffery (9-2)

Jeffery is one of the top prospects out of Canada. His two losses are to Brendan Allen and Sean Brady who are two UFC fighters looking great. The Canadian is a solid prospect at 28-years-old. Jeffery is comfortable on the feet with overall good boxing skills. He has a good jab and solid output with his hands. He’s strong against the cage with solid dirty boxing. Despite his output, he has excellent cardio. He fights Collin Huckbody (9-2).

We interviewed Jeffrey ahead of this one, be sure to check our conversation out here.

Welterweight, Troy Green (4-0)

Green is a gritty well-conditioned fighter that fights inch for inch. Green fights a lot in the clinch muscling guys around, landing short strikes, and working takedowns. He is a good wrestler and has a strong top position. Green has some pop behind his hands and some technical boxing but relies on his gas tank and strength. He fights Yohan Lainesse (5-0).

Welterweight, Yohan Lainesse (5-0)

Lainesse made waves in his last performance with a highlight-reel 14-second flying knee. I’ve been watching Lainesse since his days in TKO. I’ve had questions about his cardio in the past but he still is dangerous enough through the course of three rounds. Not many guys will make it to the late rounds with Lainesse. On the feet, he uses a lot of feints to set up the bigger shots. He is a decent wrestler and where he is best is on the mat. He’s a strong but fluent fighter on top. Lainesse has heavy ground and pound and transitions very well. Still, not where he needs to be but he’s on the right track. He fights Troy Green (4-0).

Lux Fight League 12 | Mexico | Friday

Featherweight, Diego Lopes (18-3)

Lopes is a very talented fighter fighting out of Mexico. He’s beaten some good fighters like former UFC fighter Marco Beltran and TUF Brazil winner Rony Jason. Lopes is the reigning LUX Fight League champion. Lopes is a strong grappler with a jiu-jitsu black belt. He still needs to work of his striking but has a lot of good qualities. He throws a solid jab and a lead leg kick. Lopez is good at slipping punches and coming over the top with an overhand right. He’s also good at ducking under punches and getting the takedown. Lopes has glue-like grappling with dominant ground and pound and a dangerous submission base. He fights former UFC fighter Masio Fullen (14-7).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU_Sgw5Bt-0&ab_channel=LUXFightLeague

LFA 101 | US | Friday

Welterweight, Treston Vines (4-0)

Vines is an unknown prospect but is a guy I have high hopes for. He’s very well-round and looks solid no matter where the fight is at. On the feet, Vines has solid hands firing from his preferred distance. He’s also good in the clinch with his knees. Vines may even be better when using his wrestling and when on the mat. Right away Vines has been easily moving into dominant positions and raining down ground and pound. He fights Jalin Fuller (4-0).

Middleweight, Hunter Colvin (2-0)

Colvin is only 2-0 in MMA but has an extensive background in jiu-jitsu. He’s been competing in jiu-jitsu for ten years, has been grappling all across North America, and is a BJJ black belt. In his two pro fights, he’s got quick takedowns and quick ground and pound stoppages. Still the best is yet to come as the cage time isn’t really shown just yet. He fights Obinwa Ikebunna (2-0).

Eagles FC | Saturday | Moldova

Featherweight, Denis Palancica (7-0)

Palancica is a young man out of Moldova who is a combined 13-0 in combat sports. He went 5-0 in amateur MMA and 1-0 as a pro boxer. He hasn’t fought competition at too high of a level, but he has looked right at home in his seven professional bouts. On the feet, Palancica is as talented as he is quick and really throws a good one-two. He does a great job striking and then changing levels and getting the takedown, as his wrestling is solid. He’s at his best on the mat as he thrives in the scrambles, and does a great job at transitions and getting into dominant positions. Palancica has fight-ending ground and pound as well. Overall, at 24 he has a good future. He fights Dmytro Predebaylo (12-7).

Serbian Battle Championship 30 | Saturday | Serbia

Featherweight, Borislav Nikolić (8-0)

Nikolić’s main attribute is his solid jiu-jitsu. Even off his back, Nikolić is aware of what’s going on. He scrambles well and is good at making bad positions into good ones. He oftentimes transitions into the mount or to the back to later finish the fight. Nikolić has excellent ground and pound. He’s finished fights a couple of times with ground shots. When not getting the finish, he has at least used ground and pound to improve the position or get to a submission. Shockingly enough, Nikolić actually comes from some sort of kickboxing background. Not that his stand up is bad, per se, but his grappling is where he’s looked most comfortable before. I would like to see him cut the cage off more, but his hands are looking good. He throws in combos, and despite lacking power, he makes up for it in aggression. Nikolić has finished seven of his eight fights via submission. What he’s good at is attacking the neck, as he has earned two guillotines finishes and three rear-naked chokes. He fights Zhulduzbek Syimik Uulu (5-1).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: CFFC Double Header Hosts Top Prospects appeared first on Cageside Press.

Best of Best Championship 1 | Thursday | Friday

Middleweight, Imam-Shapi Mukhtarov (7-0)

Mukhtarov is an exciting prospect out of Russia with an undefeated record. He’s got a diverse kickboxing style throwing a lot of spinning attacks. He’s always throwing something different and looks very tricky. Mukhtarov has good judo as well and is just as good on the mat with his jiu-jitsu. He fights Arman Saparov (4-4).

CFFC 86 | Thursday | US

Bantamweight, James Gonzalez (6-3)

Gonzalez may not have a good looking record but his three losses are to Mike Trizano twice and Bill Algeo. Gonzalez is a product out of Serra Jiu-Jitsu. He is a jiu-jitsu black belt and on the mat is where he wants to be. Gonzalez has an aggressive submission base attacking in every position and attacking every limb. He’s excellent at transitioning submission to submission. On his back or on top he’s usually the offensive fighter. He fights Levi Mowles (13-4).

Bantamweight, Levi Mowles (13-4)

Mowles is a black belt in jiu-jitsu with diverse skills who holds a very rare twister submission. His wrestling is good, but the work he does on that mat is where he is best. His guard passes, all his transitions, and his movement are all top-notch and even his ground and pound is good. On the feet, at times he is flat-footed but when he lets his hands go he is a good striker who always throws more than one strike and is getting better and better. He fights James Gonzalez (6-3).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKEAkWtRP_M&t=517s&ab_channel=AXSTVFights

Bellator 250 | Thursday | US

Middleweight, Johnny Eblen (6-0)

Eblen has a background as a Division I wrestler for the University of Missouri and he’s absolutely dominated with takedowns in MMA thus far. On the feet, Eblen bounces in and out throwing the outside leg kick well. Eblen times his shots very well grabbing the single leg and pressing his opponent against the cage then dropping levels executing the double leg. Eblen’s hands are improving, but does more crashing forward to close the distance to work in takedowns. He fights Taylor Johnson (6-1) who is an excellent prospect in his own right.

Middleweight, Dalton Rosta (3-0)

Dalton Rosta is an NCAA wrestler, took part in jiu-jitsu and boxing from a young age, and played one year of college football for Youngstown State as a linebacker. He’s 3-0 in Bellator and as a pro and an amateur he has finished all of his fights. Rosta is still raw but is an excellent wrestler and has a good top position. He just needs to work on his striking and cardio. He fights Ty Gwerder (5-1) who is his biggest test to date.

ONE Championship | Friday | Singapore

Middleweight/Light heavyweight, Aung La N Sang (26-10)

It’s tough to call Aung La N Sang a prospect, but he has had a lot of setbacks in his career. However, he has now hit his stride. He’s on a current seven-fight win streak and is the current ONE Championship middleweight and light heavyweight titleholder. N Sang is a warrior who will go out on his shield every time. He will continue to walk forward eating shots to give some of his own. He has a controlled chaos style throwing with the wind but mixes up his attacks very well. N Sang isn’t the prettiest style fighter but his toughness is second to none. He fights Reinier de Ridder (12-0).

Middleweight, Reinier de Ridder (12-0)

Don’t let Reinier de Ridder’s stand-up game fool you: nine of his twelve finishes have come by submission. He’s great in the clinch, and Ridder fights well at a distance as he has an excellent jab. When he lets his hands go, he is really accurate. The mat is where Ridder wants to be, as he is an expert jiu-jitsu practitioner — the sort who can time perfect double-leg takedowns. If Ridder is in the clinch, expect him to get the takedown as his hips are excellent and judo tosses are his best weapon. On top, or even on the mat in general, Ridder is the one in control. He is always moving and searching for submissions and that’s why he has eight submission wins. He fights the ONE double champion, Aung La Nsang (26-10) for the promotion’s middleweight (don’t forget the modified weight rules) title.

Lightweight, Christian Lee (13-3)

Lee is excellent on the feet, being quick and dynamic with outstanding footwork. His abilities on the mat are there when needed, holding four submission wins to date. At only 22, Lee is already a star for ONE Championship. Imagine where he’s going to be in, say, five years. He’s well-rounded, has solid cardio, and gets better in every fight. He fights Iuri Lapicus (14-0).

Lightweight, Iuri Lapicus (14-0)

Lapicus is an excellent prospect out of Moldova. Fighting for ONE Championship he’s beat both Shannon Wiratchai and Marat Gafurov. Lapicus has excellent judo and is primarily a grappler. He has finished all fourteen of his fights; ten of those have come by submission. Not much of a striker but it seems as he’s steadily improving there He fights the ONE champion Christian Lee (13-3).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: ONE, Bellator Return to Action appeared first on Cageside Press.